On May 22, 2025, X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, experienced a significant global outage that disrupted services for thousands of users worldwide. The disruption began around 11:30 PM IST and peaked at approximately 1:16 AM IST on May 23. According to Downdetector, over 6,000 users reported issues, with 57% unable to access the app and 38% encountering problems with the website.
(Image credit: Downdetector)
The company confirmed that the outage was due to a data center issue. Notably, a fire occurred at a data center in Hillsboro, Oregon, leased by X. The incident happened in a battery room, producing heavy smoke but not spreading beyond that area. Firefighters responded promptly and remained onsite. While there was no immediate response from X regarding disruptions to server operations, the fire raises concerns about the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries used for backup power in data centers.
This incident marks the second major outage in as many months for X. In March 2025, the platform suffered a significant disruption attributed to a massive cyberattack. Elon Musk, the owner of X, claimed that the platform was targeted in a “massive cyberattack” involving a large, coordinated group and/or a country. However, some cybersecurity experts expressed skepticism about the claim.
As of now, services have been largely restored, and Downdetector indicates no current problems with X.
The recent outages have sparked discussions about the platform’s infrastructure resilience and the challenges of maintaining uninterrupted service in the face of physical and cyber threats.
Anas Hasan
May 23, 2025
4 weeks ago
