A significant outage at Cloudflare disrupted access to major internet platforms, including X and ChatGPT, for thousands of users on Tuesday. The web infrastructure firm, which manages approximately one-fifth of global web traffic, began investigating service degradation around 6:40 AM New York time. Although Cloudflare has since deployed a fix for the issue, some customers may continue to experience disruptions as services gradually recover.
The incident affected a range of popular websites and applications, including Canva, Grindr, and social media platforms like Snapchat and Reddit. Users reported their difficulties accessing these sites through outage-tracking tool Downdetector, where reports peaked at nearly 5,000 before declining to around 600 as the situation improved.
Cloudflare’s Response and Impact on Users
In an email statement, Cloudflare indicated that it identified a spike in unusual traffic to one of its services starting at 11:20 UTC. This surge caused errors for traffic passing through its network. The company emphasized that it is “all hands on deck” to ensure all traffic runs smoothly without further errors.
The outage had immediate repercussions for Cloudflare’s stock, with shares falling approximately 5 percent in premarket trading. As one of the world’s largest networks designed to enhance web performance and security by mitigating traffic surges and cyberattacks, Cloudflare plays a crucial role in the online ecosystem.
Both X and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, did not respond immediately to requests for comments regarding the incident. Users across various platforms took to social media to share their experiences during the outage, highlighting the dependence on Cloudflare’s services for reliable internet functionality.
As the situation stabilizes, Cloudflare’s efforts to restore full service continue, underscoring the challenges inherent in managing complex web infrastructure that millions rely on for everyday activities.
