On Monday, October 20, 2025, a significant Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage caused widespread disruptions, affecting millions of users globally. The incident impacted a range of high-profile services, including Amazon’s e-commerce platform, Snapchat, Prime Video, and Canva, among others that rely on AWS infrastructure.
The outage began early in the morning, leading to intermittent downtime for various services. Banks such as Capital One and airlines like Delta reported service interruptions, while delivery apps like DoorDash and media outlets experienced loading delays. Users turned to social media platforms, notably Twitter (now X), to share their frustrations and document the issues they encountered.
The root cause of the disruption was traced to a Domain Name System (DNS) failure within AWS’s ecosystem, specifically affecting DynamoDB, AWS’s NoSQL database service. DNS functions as the internet’s address book, translating human-readable URLs into numerical IP addresses. When this system failed, it prevented services from resolving addresses, thereby blocking data retrieval from DynamoDB and causing a cascade of operational halts across dependent platforms.
AWS engineers responded promptly to the issue, working to restore partial service to most regions by early afternoon. The company issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience and committed to conducting a thorough root-cause analysis. While no cyberattack was suspected, the incident highlighted the risks associated with heavy reliance on a single cloud service provider.
As of the latest updates, most services have resumed normal operations, with AWS engineers actively monitoring the situation to prevent future occurrences.
