Social network disruptions monitored by global users
People around the world track service issues through portal data down detector. Problems appear on both websites and social media apps.
Users of Facebook and Instagram, which are owned by Meta, as well as X, YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp, Discord, Google services and others sometimes face access or functional difficulties.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone explained that the technical problem causing the malfunctions had already been resolved, though the company did not specify the exact nature of the fault.
Attack on internet cables
An Israeli publication reported that Yemeni Houthis damaged four submarine cables in the Red Sea, including the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1) cable. This attack disrupted communications between Europe and Asia, with the Persian Gulf and India experiencing the most noticeable impact.
The assessment noted that the damage was significant but not crippling because other cables continued to carry traffic. At the time, data indicated that about 25% of traffic was affected, according to a Hong Kong provider, HGC Global Communications Limited, which said it had already taken steps to mitigate the impact and had developed a plan to reroute affected traffic. The provider also mentioned diversifying routes to Europe via China and the United States to reduce the impact of the disruption.
RBC highlighted that the worst hit was the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 cable, a pipeline carrying about 40 terabits per second, connecting East Asia to Europe through Egypt. Older cables were also impacted.
Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, noted that it remains unclear whether the cables were active during the incident, as there was no official confirmation of disrupted internet traffic. The analyst also warned about potential channel reservation problems in the region, which matter to operators and buyers of traffic, including Google.
Murtazin explained that current reservations in the region are arranged to prevent access by groups like the Houthis. Nevertheless, the ability exists to cut fibers anywhere in the world, a cheap tactic that does not require ships.
Virtually no impact on users
Vladimir Ulyanov, head of the analytical center at Zecurion, told Lenta.ru that damage to Red Sea cables is unlikely to cause widespread disruption for ordinary users. Traffic can be redirected along different routes, and when some nodes or channels become unavailable, rerouting occurs via alternatives.
This rerouting can lead to temporary overloads that may cause some services to fail. The expert also noted that issues could arise due to problems with the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 cable.
Ulyanov added that theoretical problems are possible, but he did not expect a broad impact for most users in practice.