Google-owned video streaming platform YouTube faced a major technical disruption on Friday, affecting thousands of users across India, the United States, and other countries. Many users reported difficulties in streaming videos and accessing the app or website. The issue persisted for several hours, disrupting the normal functioning of the platform.
When Did the Outage Start in India?
According to outage-monitoring website DownDetector, the problem began in India around 5:00 PM. It peaked at 6:51 PM, when around 3,855 users from India alone reported issues. The number of complaints then dropped to 97 by 7:06 PM, indicating signs of resolution.
Problems Faced by Users
Reports indicate that affected users encountered three main issues:
- 54% of users faced server connection problems.
- 35% reported that the website could not be accessed.
- 11% experienced direct video streaming issues.
This shows that the outage affected multiple key features of YouTube.
Impact in the US and Other Countries
The outage was not limited to India. According to Reuters, thousands of users in the United States also reported YouTube being down. By 8:15 AM EDT, over 10,800 complaints were registered, later dropping to around 7,600.
In addition, more than 1,300 users in Canada and around 3,000 in the United Kingdom (UK) reported issues related to YouTube, indicating that the disruption was widespread at a global level.
No Official Statement from the Company
Reuters reported that neither YouTube nor Google has issued an official response regarding the outage. Experts believe the actual number of affected users could be much higher, as DownDetector only records complaints submitted by users themselves.
User Reactions and Social Media Buzz
During the outage, several users took to social media platforms to report their issues and express frustration over the platform being down. The hashtag #YouTubeDown began trending on Twitter, amplifying public attention and discussion about the disruption.
Possible Causes and Technical Analysis
Although Google has not confirmed the cause, technical experts speculate that the outage may have been due to server-side issues, network connectivity problems, or technical difficulties at data centers. The disruption affected both video streaming services and website operations, impacting users for several hours.
