Internet latest: Huge outage knocks out Amazon, Snapchat and multiple other websites, apps and games

Kanewebb
Oct 20
2 min read

What Happened?

This morning, a major global internet outage shook the online world — disrupting popular apps and websites like Snapchat, Amazon, Fortnite, Ring, Duolingo, and even banking apps in the UK.

The cause? A failure at Amazon Web Services (AWS) — one of the largest cloud service providers on the planet. The issue originated in their US-EAST-1 (Northern Virginia) data region, causing “increased error rates and latency” across multiple systems.

For a brief moment, the internet as we know it... paused.

Which Platforms Were Affected by the Internet outage?

Reports flooded in from users worldwide who couldn’t access:

**Snapchat, Roblox and Amazon among disrupted sites and apps**

The scale of disruption reminded everyone just how connected our online world is — and how one system’s glitch can ripple across millions.

Why It Matters

This outage highlights a critical truth of the modern web: Most of the internet depends on a handful of cloud providers.

When one region — like AWS’s US-EAST-1 — experiences an issue, thousands of apps and services relying on that infrastructure feel the impact instantly.

For digital agencies, developers, and business owners, this is a wake-up call to:

Know your dependencies — Which cloud region or provider hosts your site?
Plan for downtime — Have backup systems or alternative hosting ready.
Communicate early — During outages, transparency keeps user trust.

What to Do If You’re Affected by the Internet outage?

For Regular Users:

Don’t panic — the issue isn’t your Wi-Fi or phone.
Check DownDetector or official brand X pages (Twitter/X) for real-time updates.
Wait for AWS to restore services (usually within hours).

For Businesses & Web Teams:

Review your hosting setup — are you relying solely on AWS?
Enable multi-region backups to prevent total downtime.
Communicate with your customers through social channels or email updates.

Lessons From the Outage

At Kanewebb, we believe events like this show how resilience and preparation are key for any brand operating online. Whether you’re running a small website or managing multiple clients’ digital platforms, reliability matters.

“It’s a reminder that even the biggest tech giants aren’t immune — and that’s exactly why strategy and redundancy are essential.”

This is why our team always encourages businesses to secure proper hosting, backups, and maintenance plans for their websites.

Kanewebb’s Takeaway on the Internet outage

If your business depends on being online — your website, your store, your communication — you can’t afford unexpected downtime. Our web team helps you:

✅ Set up reliable, professional hosting ✅ Connect custom domains for credibility ✅ Monitor site uptime & performance ✅ Create modern, responsive websites that stay online

Want to Make Your Website More Reliable?

👉 Contact Kanewebb today to secure a professional hosting setup and avoid being caught off-guard by outages like this. You can also call us at +27 76 027 9183 or visit kanewebb.co.za.