The current widespread internet disruption, affecting platforms including X (formerly Twitter), is a result of a major
outage at Cloudflare, a key web infrastructure company. This is not the culmination of a series of attacks during the last several days, but rather a separate infrastructure incident.
Here’s what is going on:
- The Cause: Cloudflare, which provides critical services like content delivery and protection from cyberattacks for many websites, is experiencing an issue with its global network. The company is currently investigating the problem, which has led to widespread “500 errors” and service disruptions across multiple platforms.
- Widespread Impact: The outage has affected a large number of major online services beyond X, including OpenAI (ChatGPT), Spotify, Canva, and numerous other websites and apps globally that rely on Cloudflare’s infrastructure.
- Not a “Culmination” of Recent Events: There haven’t been similar widespread internet attacks or outages in the immediate days leading up to this event. However, there have been prior significant, unrelated outages in recent months, such as issues with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in October 2025 and a previous Cloudflare disruption in June 2025, which highlighted the internet’s reliance on a few core infrastructure providers.
- Different from Past X Outages: This incident is distinct from past outages at X, such as those in March 2025 which Elon Musk attributed to “massive cyberattacks” (specifically Distributed Denial of Service, or DDoS, attacks), which were targeted at the X platform itself. The current issues are system-wide, affecting all services that use the impacted Cloudflare systems.
Cloudflare is actively working to resolve the issue, and services are beginning to recover. You can monitor the official status updates on the Cloudflare Status Page or check for user reports on Downdetector.
Users are reporting a widespread outage on X, preventing them from accessing their feeds or the website due to a major incident at Cloudflare, a web infrastructure company. While the issue started earlier today, Cloudflare has stated that services are beginning to recover, though some error rates may persist as they continue remediation efforts.
- Impact: The outage is affecting users globally, with reports of a “500 error” and other site-loading issues.
- Cause: The problems are linked to a major Cloudflare outage, which provides security and performance services to a large number of websites, including X.
- Status: Cloudflare has confirmed it is investigating the issue and is now seeing services recover, but full recovery may take time.
- User reports: Many users have reported being unable to load new posts, while desktop users have seen error messages, notes Goodreturns. Some mobile app users may still be unaffected.
- Troubleshooting: There is no user-side fix for this issue, as it originates from the Cloudflare service disruption. Users will need to wait for the issue to be fully resolved. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
AI responses may include mistakes.
36 minutes ago
Today’s top news stories on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, include a potential House vote on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, ongoing US immigration crackdowns, and global diplomatic shifts.
U.S. News
- Epstein Files: The U.S. House is expected to vote on a bill to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files after an abrupt reversal by President Trump, who now says he would sign the bill if it passes the Senate.
- Immigration Enforcement: Federal immigration agents have made more than 130 arrests in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of an enforcement push called “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” sparking local fears and protests.
- James Comey Case: A federal judge has cited “profound investigative missteps” by the U.S. Justice Department in the case against former FBI Director James Comey, potentially imperiling the charges against him.
- FEMA Administrator Resigns: Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson has resigned after a short, six-month tenure amid a troubled response to recent flooding in Texas.
- Maryland Bridge Cost: The estimated cost to rebuild the collapsed Baltimore bridge has more than doubled from initial projections to over $5 billion.
World News
- Gaza Peace Plan: The UN Security Council has approved a U.S.-backed peace plan for
Gaza
, which calls for a transitional administration and has drawn mixed international responses
. - Ukraine-Russia War: Poland has indicated that “everything points to Russia” being behind recent railway sabotage incidents on lines used to transport aid to Ukraine. Ukraine also plans to purchase up to 100 fighter jets and other defense systems from France.
- Saudi Crown Prince Visit: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to visit the U.S., where President Trump confirmed the U.S. will sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia despite some concerns.
- Bangladesh Verdict: Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death by a special tribunal for crimes against humanity during a 2024 crackdown on protests.
Technology & Business
- AI in Court: The increasing use of AI-generated evidence is raising concerns among judges who state they are not ready for the potential trustworthiness issues.
- Apple Designer Leaves: The designer who introduced the iPhone Air has left Apple for an unnamed AI startup.
- X Outage: Users of the social media platform X are experiencing outages, with many unable to access their feeds or the website.
For more details and continuous updates, you can check major news outlets like ABC News, NBC News, or CNN.
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