Source – BBC: A significant outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) on October 19, 2025, led to substantial disruptions throughout the internet, impacting over 1,000 businesses and millions of users worldwide. Services from social media sites like Snapchat and Reddit to financial institutions such as Lloyds and Halifax, as well as gaming powerhouses like Roblox and Fortnite, were all affected.
The problem was linked to a Domain Name System (DNS) error — a seemingly trivial technical issue that had major repercussions. The DNS acts like the internet’s address book, guiding users to the right digital destinations. When it malfunctions, users find themselves unable to reach websites and services, even if those services are operational.
The issue began at AWS’s largest data center located in Northern Virginia, which is a vital part of its global network. While AWS has not disclosed the precise cause, industry analysts suggest that the outage was probably due to a configuration mistake, server malfunction, or human error — rather than a cyberattack.
The Backbone of the Internet
AWS underpins roughly one-third of the internet, offering cloud computing, data storage, and network services to businesses worldwide. Its clients rely on the platform to host websites, process data, and handle user traffic — making any outage especially disruptive.
“This is a textbook example of the risks of over-reliance on a single cloud provider,” said tech analysts, noting that the internet’s increasing centralization makes outages like this more impactful.
Few Alternatives at Scale
While there are alternatives such as Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, AWS continues to be the leading cloud service provider. Smaller competitors like IBM, Alibaba, and Europe’s Stackit, which is supported by Lidl’s parent company, do not possess the scale necessary to compete effectively.
The recent incident has sparked renewed discussions about the necessity for regional or national cloud infrastructures, especially in the UK and Europe. Some people believe that reliance on US-based cloud giants makes countries susceptible to foreign disruptions — a concern highlighted by the events of today.
Although the outage was resolved later in the day, experts warn that it highlights the vulnerability of a highly centralized internet.
