On October 20, 2025, Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a significant outage that disrupted numerous popular websites and applications globally. The incident, originating from AWS’s US-EAST-1 region in Northern Virginia, began around 3:11 AM ET and was attributed to an internal DNS issue affecting AWS’s EC2 internal network.
Services Impacted
The outage led to widespread disruptions across various platforms, including:
- Social Media & Communication: Snapchat, Reddit, Signal, WhatsApp, and Zoom
- Gaming: Fortnite, Roblox, Epic Games Store
- Streaming & Entertainment: Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV
- E-commerce & Finance: Amazon, Venmo, Coinbase, Stripe
- Productivity Tools: Canva, Airtable, Slack, Microsoft 365
- Smart Home Devices: Ring, Alexa
Users reported issues such as login failures, slow load times, and service unavailability across these platforms.
Resolution and Recovery
By late afternoon, AWS reported that normal service had been restored. However, some services continued to experience backlogs and delays as they worked to process pending requests.
Implications and Expert Analysis
This outage highlights the vulnerabilities associated with the concentration of internet infrastructure among a few major cloud service providers. Experts have emphasized the need for greater diversification and fault tolerance in digital infrastructure to mitigate the impact of such widespread disruptions.
Despite the disruptions, Amazon’s stock saw a 1.6% increase, closing at $216.48 on October 20, 2025 .
This incident serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of modern digital services and the critical role of cloud infrastructure in supporting global online operations.
