Monday, October 4, 2021

WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram hit by global outage

NAIROBI, Kenya 

WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram were reported to be down in several regions across the globe on Monday. 

The platforms owned by US-based tech giant Facebook experienced outages on both desktop and mobile. 

Many users across the globe reported being unable to access the apps of the popular services.

Many Kenyans on social media reported hitches while using the platforms.

Users trying to access Facebook in affected areas were greeted with the message: "Something went wrong. We're working on it and we'll get it fixed as soon as we can."

Outage tracker Downdetector was showing outages in heavily populated areas like Washington and Paris.

"We're aware that some people are having trouble accessing our apps and products," Facebook spokesman Andy Stone said on Twitter.

The outage comes a day after a whistleblower went on US television to reveal her identity after she leaked a trove of documents to authorities alleging the social media giant knew its products were fueling hate and harming children's mental health.

Frances Haugen, a 37-year-old data scientist from Iowa, has worked for companies including Google and Pinterest -- but said in an interview with CBS news show "60 Minutes" that Facebook was "substantially worse" than anything she had seen before.

The world's largest social media platform has been embroiled in a firestorm brought about by Haugen, with US lawmakers and The Wall Street Journal detailing how Facebook knew its products, including Instagram, were harming young girls, especially around body image.

Facebook did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the outage.

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