A widespread server disruption has knocked Meta's flagship social media platforms offline, leaving millions of users abruptly locked out of their Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger accounts.
Starting around 7:15 p.m. IST (9:45 a.m. EDT) on Friday, June 12, outage tracking platform Downdetector registered a massive spike, logging over 100,000 user reports within minutes. The outage is global, with widespread service failures reported across India, the US, the UK, Europe, and the Philippines.
Here is what we know about the ongoing disruption:
Facebook & Messenger Down
Users attempting to access Facebook are being abruptly logged out of their sessions. Attempts to log back in are met with "Unexpected Error" or "Session Expired" prompts. Desktop users report seeing blank screens, grey loading placeholders, or a standard maintenance page stating: "Something went wrong. We're working on it and we'll get it fixed as soon as we can."
Messenger is completely compromised, preventing users from sending or retrieving direct messages. The sudden lockouts initially sparked panic on other platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with many users fearing their accounts had been compromised by hackers.
Instagram Feeds Frozen
While the Instagram mobile app is loading for a fraction of users, core functionality is crippled. Users report the app crashing within 10 seconds of opening, alongside black screens featuring a continuous spinning loading icon. Feeds are failing to refresh, and the direct messaging service is entirely offline.
Meta Yet to Acknowledge the Root Cause
Meta has not issued an official statement regarding the technical failure. Furthermore, the company does not operate a public-facing consumer status page, and its business tool dashboard initially reflected "No known issues" even as the outage peaked.
There is currently no evidence indicating a cyberattack. Cybersecurity experts advise users against repeatedly attempting to reset passwords or clicking on "account recovery" links sent via SMS or email until Meta officially restores server stability.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
