Facebook services fell globally for six hours, causing problems for millions of people and businesses. With 3.5 billion users worldwide, the collapse was a major event that signaled the power of a single company over communications.
The Facebook outage forces us to rethink how we communicate with the world. Centralized services are an Achilles heel for technology services.
How did Facebook go down?
On October 4, Facebook services were down for more than six hours. That includes Instagram, WhatsApp, and even internal company services.
To understand the impact of the problem, let’s remember that 3.5 billion people around the world rely on Facebook applications for daily communication. The social media company is also a key ally for companies and NGOs looking to connect with their audience.
As Facebook is also used to log in to different websites, such as e-commerce, streaming services, or even interconnected devices, Facebook’s downfall caused a ripple effect.
Of course, the downfall of a company used by billions of people meant a loss of billions of dollars. Shares of Facebook plunged, falling -4.63% in one day, meaning a loss of $ 6B. The company also estimates a loss of $ 100M in revenue.
What does the Facebook outage mean in the modern world?
The downfall of Facebook reveals how people around the world rely heavily on Facebook services. The four most downloaded applications of the last decade are owned by Facebook: Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger. For that reason, the Facebook outage resembled a Techno-Apocalypse.
However, the Facebook family is also responsible for distractions at work. So it’s no wonder other people see the bright side of disruption. For many people, it was a boost in productivity.
Office workers can easily get distracted on Facebook, but for small businesses, the platform is a key ally. Many of them were seriously injured while responding to their customers and receiving their orders through WhatsApp or Facebook.
All these facts point to an obvious truth: Facebook has a lot of power in everyday life. Public speaking, private communication, and customer service happen on that global platform. But the problems do not end here.
This is not the only problem for Facebook this week
Facebook has faced criticism due to the weak protection of user data and monopolistic practices. In recent weeks, whistleblower Francis Haugen has revealed that the social media company was aware of the damage of the social network to its users in a trial similar to Big Tobacco, which was aware of the deadly effects of its product on users and did not He did nothing. Francis Haugen will also testify to the company’s lack of transparency that makes it difficult for regulators to deal with US senators.
Facebook continues to make multi-million dollar profits but is now in the realm of government scrutiny. The situation could cause a drop in the value of your shares and the measures could destroy your business.
Can we think of a world without Facebook?
The fall of Facebook forces us to rethink the current state of social media. Could a multiplatform service be built to achieve the decentralization of communications? Should Facebook be divided into several competing social media companies? Or is it impossible (for now) to think of a world without Facebook?
Read also: Facebook is sponsoring an on-line hackathon