Elon Musk Attributes X Outage Affecting Thousands to ‘Massive Cyber attack’

On March 10, 2025, X, formerly known as Twitter, suffered a series of outages that impacted tens of thousands of users worldwide. Elon Musk, the platform’s owner, ascribed the outages to a “massive cyberattack,” implying the involvement of a huge coordinated group or possibly a nation-state.

The first signs of trouble appeared around 5:30 a.m. Eastern Time, when users reported difficulty accessing the platform. According to Downdetector, a service monitoring website for outages, complaints peaked at around 6:00 a.m., with over 22,000 incidents. Although the platform appeared to settle shortly thereafter, problems reappeared later in the morning. At 9:58 a.m., outage reports increased again, reaching over 40,000. A following rise occurred about 11:00 a.m., with reports reaching more than 35,000 by 12:53 p.m. These frequent disruptions left people unsatisfied and looking for new communication options.

In response to the outages, Elon Musk took to X to inform users about the situation. He stated, “There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X. We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved.” This acknowledgment highlighted the severity of the attack and the challenges faced in maintaining platform security.

The outages had a widespread impact, affecting users across various regions, including major cities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Many users reported being unable to access their feeds, post updates, or send messages. The disruptions prompted a flood of complaints on Downdetector and discussions on other social media platforms, as individuals sought information and expressed their frustrations. The incident underscored the reliance on X for real-time communication and the ripple effects when such a widely used platform encounters issues.

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022 and its subsequent rebranding to X, the platform has experienced several outages. Notably, in July 2023, Musk implemented temporary limitations on post visibility for unverified users to address “extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation.” While such measures aimed to enhance platform integrity, they also led to user dissatisfaction and debates about access restrictions. The recent cyberattack adds to the challenges X faces in balancing security measures with user experience.

The nature and scale of the reported cyberattack raise significant cybersecurity concerns. If a nation-state or a highly organized group orchestrated the attack, it signifies a troubling escalation in cyber threats targeting major communication platforms. Such incidents not only disrupt user activities but also pose risks to data integrity and trust in digital infrastructures. The attack on X serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in even the most robust platforms and the continuous efforts required to safeguard against evolving cyber threats.

As investigations into the cyberattack continue, users and stakeholders await detailed insights into the perpetrators and the specific vulnerabilities exploited. The incident highlights the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and collaborative efforts among technology companies, governments, and cybersecurity experts to protect digital platforms. For X, rebuilding user trust and ensuring platform stability will be paramount in the aftermath of this significant disruption.