Social media platform encounters widespread problems as users Report Persistent Issues
Social media platform X, now rebranded from Twitter, faced a disruption on Saturday, as users reported issues with the service. According to Downdetector, a service that monitors user experiences and outages across different websites, hundreds of users in the UK encountered difficulties accessing the platform's app and website, with the problem beginning shortly after 1pm. By 1.57pm, Downdetector had received 11,787 reports of user problems.
Netblocks.org, an internet observatory, confirmed international outages on the site. They attributed the incident to internet issues in a specific country. It should be noted that X experienced an outage on Thursday, causing multiple-hour disruption.
Users attempting to load new posts, previously known as tweets, received an error message: "Something went wrong. Try reloading."
Tesla and Starlink owner Elon Musk purchased the platform in 2022 for $44 billion. Since then, the company underwent significant changes, including mass firings of about 80% of the staff and a rebranding to X in March 2023.
The rebranding and subsequent changes under Musk's ownership have raised concerns among major brands. Some brands have moved advertising spend away from the platform due to Musk's unique approach to ownership, which has spooked them by association.
In late March 2023, Musk sold X to his own xAI artificial intelligence company in an $80 billion all-stock deal. By doing so, he valued xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion, according to Musk's statement on the platform at that time.
News outlet PA Media has reached out to X for comment on the recent outage.
As for the current status and cause of the outage in May 2025, a data center failure by X's Engineering team has been attributed to the main disruption, causing widespread issues for users worldwide. Thousands were affected, with the peak of issues reaching over 11,000 reports at one point on May 24. It should be noted that, despite the rebranding, this is not the first significant outage under Musk's ownership, as a "massive cyber attack" was blamed for earlier widespread disruptions in March 2025.
Brands have expressed frustration over the increasing frequency of outages and technical issues, citing the disruption to their advertising campaigns, customer service interactions, and real-time engagement strategies. The unpredictable reliability of the platform has led some brands to reconsider their investment in it for marketing and customer outreach, although many still maintain a presence due to its extensive user base.
Technology issues on X, previously known as Twitter, extended to social media entertainment, as users struggled to access the platform and its content on Saturday. The outage, attributed to a data center failure, generated over 11,000 reports of user problems, affecting thousands worldwide. Brands, already concerned about Musk's ownership, are increasingly frustrated by the platform's unpredictable reliability and the disruption to their advertising campaigns and customer outreach.
