Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, experienced multiple service disruptions on Monday, with the billionaire attributing the outages to a possible cyberattack. The service interruptions began early in the day and affected thousands of users worldwide.
Outage tracking site DownDetector reported that the first wave of problems began at approximately 6 a.m. ET, with over 20,000 users reporting difficulties accessing the platform. While the issues seemed to subside temporarily, a second wave hit around 10 a.m. ET, when nearly 40,000 users filed outage reports. By 12:30 p.m. ET, a third wave of disruptions affected roughly 26,000 users, according to DownDetector.
Many users complained that the X app would not load or failed to function properly. The disruptions appeared to be global, with reports from users in various regions, including the U.S., Europe, and Asia. DownDetector’s data, which is self-reported, is not a comprehensive measure of the outage’s full scale. X, which has not responded to press inquiries, did not immediately provide further details about the incident.
Musk took to X to claim that the outages were likely the result of a cyberattack, writing that a “large, coordinated group and/or a country” might be involved. While the motivation behind the alleged attack was not confirmed, Musk replied affirmatively to a comment suggesting that the attack could be an effort to silence him and his platform. No additional information about the nature of the disruption, including whether it was indeed caused by a targeted attack, has been released.
Eric Noonan, CEO of cybersecurity firm CyberSheath, told CNN that it may be too early to determine the exact cause of the outages. “One of the things that should always be taken with a grain of salt is any statements made in the short period of time immediately after, or even during, an attack,” Noonan said, cautioning against jumping to conclusions without a thorough investigation.
This is not the first time Musk has linked technical difficulties to cyberattacks. In August 2024, Musk claimed that a delay in the start of a conversation between him and former President Donald Trump on X was likely caused by a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDOS) attack. He had also speculated that the technical difficulties during Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ 2023 presidential campaign announcement on X might have been the result of a DDOS attack.
DDOS attacks, which involve overwhelming servers with fake traffic to disrupt service, are a common form of online attack. However, in recent years, ransomware attacks—often financially motivated—have become more prevalent. Noonan explained that DDOS attacks are typically aimed at causing disruption rather than generating profit, making it harder to identify the perpetrators.
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Musk’s acquisition of X in 2022 marked the beginning of a series of major changes at the platform. Musk immediately laid off top executives and cut the workforce by roughly half, eliminating 3,500 jobs. Since then, he has made sweeping changes to the platform, including requiring employees to return to the office full-time, a move that has been met with some controversy. These cuts and changes have also coincided with a number of glitches and technical disruptions, leading to questions about the platform’s long-term stability.
Monday’s outages are part of a broader pattern of disruptions that have plagued X since Musk took control. While some users are frustrated by the platform’s reliability issues, others speculate that Musk’s management decisions may be contributing to the ongoing technical difficulties. The billionaire’s leadership style has drawn mixed reactions, with some praising his bold moves and others expressing concerns about the platform’s future.
In addition to the challenges at X, Musk’s other ventures, including Tesla, faced financial setbacks on Monday. Tesla shares fell as much as 12% during midday trading, erasing much of the company’s gains since the November 2024 election. Musk, who is also involved in various other high-profile ventures, including his role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is facing a particularly tough day as his companies experience financial and technical hurdles.
As X works to resolve the ongoing outages, many users are left wondering whether the platform can regain stability. With the platform’s increasing prominence under Musk’s leadership, the pressure is on to address these disruptions and restore user confidence.
