What in the World - No Snapchat?! Why the AWS outage was so big

Download No Snapchat?! Why the AWS outage was so big

Fortnite, Roblox, Snapchat, Zoom, Duolingo, Delta Airlines, Amazon Prime, HBO, Hinge, Hulu, Outlook, Reddit, Lyft, Slack, Strava… These are just some of the apps which were impacted by AWS’s recent outage. AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. It’s the biggest provider of internet support services in the world, meaning that millions of people rely on it for everyday apps like internet banking and social media.

Luckily the issue has now been fixed. But the outage has reignited the debate around whether countries are over-dependent on a handful of US tech firms which provide these services. BBC tech reporter Chris Vallance chats us through all we need to know. Plus, students and recent grads share how the outage impacted them.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Imogen James, Emily Horler and Mora Morrison
Editor: Harriet Oliver

Published on Wednesday, 22nd October 2025.

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