Dowdetector by Ookla: Largest Outages of 2025

In 2025, digital services proved both indispensable and fragile. This year’s largest outages were defined by platform-level disruptions, particularly across video, gaming, and communication platforms, that impacted millions of users. However, given how many individual platforms rely on the same few cloud providers and core systems, the role of centralized infrastructure also played a key role, demonstrating how a single point of failure can still cause disruption to cascade across multiple services simultaneously.

Downdetector® data from 2025 Ookla could analyze millions of user reports and identify the largest website and service outages of the year.

The World’s Biggest Outages of 2025

2025 saw a combination of major outages across gaming, streaming, and social media services, but none were more impactful than the cloud services outages that affected companies across the globe. These large-scale incidents underscored how failures in core infrastructure can ripple outward to millions of users. Here is a look at the largest global outages of 2025, according to Downdetector data.

 

In Europe:

 

  • PlayStation Network global issue topped the EU list with 1.7 million reports.
  • Snapchat saw the second-highest outage activity in the region with 989,559 reports submitted by users.
  • Vodafone’s UK-wide internet outage generated 833,211 reports.
  • WhatsApp caused significant disruption for its users with 621,763 reports.
  • Spotify’s outage recorded 468,334 reports, making it a major non-video streaming event.
  • Odido experienced, within 10 days, two separate outages that totaled 357,685 reports (June 15th) and 382,003 reports (June 25th).

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Facebook and Instagram most identified by public for featuring fraudulent adverts

In advance of International Fraud Awareness Week, research commissioned by Bank of Ireland has shown that 90% of the population believe fraud is a big problem in Irish society, with fake online purchase scams being the most common way for consumers to lose money.

One third of those surveyed said they had been targeted by a fraudulent advert on a social media platform. When these respondents were asked to identify the platform, 65% identified Facebook, 28% identified Instagram, with X at 13%, TikTok at 11%, and Snapchat at 4%.

In addition, almost half (47%) of citizens aged 18+ have seen adverts for investments or crypto currency on a social media platform featuring a well-known personality, politician or musician. The impersonation of well-known people and media organisations is a tactic used regularly in fraudulent ads to trick consumers into fake crypto investments, bond purchases, or savings products.

This can include impersonation of individuals such as President Michael D. Higgins, An Taoiseach Simon Harris, An Tánaiste Micheal Martin, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Denis O’Brien, Dáithí Ó Sé, Brian Dowling and Tommy Tiernan.  Adverts can also include links to fake websites impersonating RTE, the Irish Independent, Forbes, The Irish News, BBC News, the Irish Mirror, and many others.

Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud, Bank of Ireland said: “Fraudulent adverts are a blight on social media platforms. These adverts are all about one thing – the theft of money from consumers and businesses by criminals. They cause harm to people, the financial services system, and the economy. 

“Much more needs to be done. One common sense step would be to ensure that online platforms check that adverts are from companies that are regulated to sell financial products and services. The current approach, which is allowing fraudsters run fake ads that impersonate celebrities, politicians, and legitimate media organisations – all with the aim of stealing money – is clearly broken. 

“That’s why Bank of Ireland is calling for legislative change at European Union level so that online platforms will have to verify that advertisers of financial services are regulated to sell those services.”

Findings from the Red C poll among the Irish general public include:

  • Fake advertisements were most commonly seen on Facebook and Instagram followed by Twitter/X (13%), TikTok (11%) and Snapchat (4%).
  • The majority of people (66%) report fraud to their bank, followed by the Gardai (17%)
  • When asked to select all parties they believe responsible for protecting people from fraud in Ireland 66% selected Banks and Financial Services companies, along with the Gardai (51%), mobile phone (39%) and social media companies (39%).  60% of the population believe they themselves have a role.

The research was conducted as part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness among Bank of Ireland customers and the general public around the danger of fraud to their personal finances and how to safeguard against the main causes of fraud. International Fraud Awareness Week runs from Monday 18 November, with a series of communications planned by Bank of Ireland to further raise awareness among the general public around fraud protection.

Bolt and Snapchat reimagine cities without parked cars in new AR collaboration

Global mobility company Bolt has partnered with Snapchat to create a new Lens that gives every person the power to reimagine their city by visualising urban spaces with fewer parked cars in real time using augmented reality (AR).

The new Lens, which is called P.E.O.P.L.E. (Parked Environment Optimisation for Public Land Enhancement), recognises parked cars and turns them into environments built for people, such as outdoor cafés, cycling lanes and green spaces, and is available to millions of Snapchatters worldwide. It’s the world’s first augmented reality lens that detects cars and replaces them with people-friendly places with a single tap.

The Lens forms part of Bolt’s newest pan-European brand campaign “Feels Like Home”, which encourages people to aspire towards better urban environments with less congestion by highlighting how cities should feel like an extension of your living room, rather than a space for cars.

As the urban populations grow and cities are battling with rising transport emissions and congestion, shared mobility – including shared taxis, bikes and scooters – can help people switch away from using private cars by increasing connectivity to public transport and catering to people’s different mobility needs. Bolt offers taxis on demand in Dublin and Cork, and shared electric bike rental in Sligo, Kilkenny, Wexford, and Bray.

Research from the Tallinn-based firm revealed that only one-quarter of Irish drivers believe they are likely to give up their car in the next five years. Over half (54.55%) of the 1000 drivers that responded cited the overall expense of running a car as a potential reason for giving it up, whilst 52.35% mentioned rising fuel costs as a motivating factor.

A recent consumer survey from McKinsey found that nearly 50% of people are willing to swap private cars for different transport in the next decade, and almost 30% aim to use micromobility or shared mobility more in the coming decade. Bolt’s research also confirms that 63% of people believe shared mobility (ride-hailing, e-scooters, e-bikes, and car sharing) decreases the necessity for owning private cars.

Liisa Ennuste, a creative strategist at Bolt, said: “For decades, cities have prioritised cars over pedestrians, bikes and scooters. This is reflected in the space distribution in cities where more than 60% of urban areas are reserved for cars instead of pedestrians and infrastructure for more environmentally friendly modes of transport.

“Many cities have realised that and are moving away from a car-first mindset by building cycling roads, supporting micromobility, and turning parking spaces into small parklets. Our collaboration with Snapchat is a reminder of how cities can be improved by creating more spaces for people, not cars.”

Poli Dor, Head of Central & Eastern Europe Business Solutions at Snap, commented: “We’re really excited about our work with Bolt, not least because this project helps us to showcase AR’s ability to imagine and promote a more sustainable way of living. We have over 397 million daily active users on Snapchat, so to bring this type of creativity to our platform can have a massive impact, and can help educate people to make more informed lifestyle decisions, like how they get around their city.”

In addition to the Snapchat app, the Feels Like Home campaign will be activated across many other channels, including social media and OOH.

Feels Like Home is the latest Bolt campaign which highlights the potential for cities to be improved if more urban space was devoted to people and infrastructure for shared mobility options like ride-hailing, e-scooters and e-bikes, which reduce the need for owning a private car. Bolt’s suite of products offers viable alternatives to private car ownership: ride-hailing seeks to replace the need for owning a private car, while e-scooters and e-bikes are perfect for shorter journeys, and Bolt Drive can be used for longer journeys where ride-hailing is not suitable.

In past campaigns like Cities For People, Not Cars, Bolt has highlighted how urban environments have been transformed, showcasing historic photos of European landmarks filled with cars and newer photos from the same locations showing fewer cars and more space for people

How to Know if Your Boyfriend Is Cheating On Snapchat

Who Is She: How to Know if Your Boyfriend Is Cheating On Snapchat

It’s no secret that Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms among young adults. What could be more well-known is that Snapchat is also a favorite among cheaters.

Why? Because it’s easy to send disappearing photos and videos, which makes it difficult for partners to track their activity. How to know if your boyfriend is cheating on Snapchat? Here are five proven ways how to catch your boyfriend cheating on Snapchat.

How to Get In Your Boyfriend’s Snapchat: Hints You Need to Know

Is he cheating on Snapchat? Wondering if your boyfriend is unfaithful? Snapchat may provide some clues.

Check his Snapchat score. If it suddenly drops, that may be a sign that he’s been sending snaps to someone else more than he’s been sending them to you.

What’s the best Snapchat spy app?

 

We’re biased, but we definitely think it’s mSpy. This Snapchat hacking application just makes it really easy to spy on someone’s Snapchat. After installing, it does all the legwork for you, so you don’t have to jump through hoops each time you want to review what they’re saying on Snapchat. You’ll also have access to a host of other features, like location monitoring, keyword alerts, a keylogger, app blocking, web history, and so much more. When used together, you can paint a complete picture of how safely (or unsafely) they’re living their digital life.

Is there a way to spy on Snapchat?

Yes, and all you need is a Snapchat spy app like mSpy. It shows you the conversations they’re having on the popular social media app, and who they’re having those conversations with. It’s also well priced, so it won’t break the bank.

Can I see Snapchat on mSpy?

MSpy Snapchat monitoring app allows users read all or most Snapchat messages. It is compatible with Android and iOS

Does Eyezy monitor Snapchat?

Eyezy offers an easy way to monitor a child’s Snapchat messages. To get started, purchase an Eyezy subscription. After you’ve installed it on their phone, you can log in to your Control Panel and monitor kids’ Snapchat.

In addition, the Eyezy app sends out alerts if there’s any kind of suspicious activity linked to their kids’ accounts so users can take immediate action if needed.

Eyezy also allows its users great peace-of-mind and a chance to ensure the digital safety of their children through secure monitoring of Snapchat account activity. To get a better understanding of how this monitoring app works, consider reading an Eyezy review

How does Eyezy work?

How Eyezy works to keep you up to date on their location is pretty impressive. Just log in to Eyezy, hit Pinpoint in the left nav bar, and see their exact location on a map, complete with accurate coordinates. And review their previous locations too

What does Eyezy track?

Eyezy is a spying application or software which allows users to spy on targeted devices and track locations, social media, multimedia, phone activity, and many more. This app is also used as parental control app to ensure children’s safety from digital threats

How can I monitor my child’s Snapchat without them knowing?

For example, you can use a third-party app like AirDroid and Hoverwatch Parental Control to monitor Snapchat. Also, you can monitor Snapchat by sourcing the cache file on Android and backup on iPhone when posts on Snapchat have been removed

 

Another potential clue is the Snap Map. If he suddenly starts spending more time in areas that are far away from you, it could be because he’s meeting up with someone else.

Another sign to look for is hidden friends. If there are hidden friends on his list, he may be hiding them from you because he doesn’t want you to know who they are.

Some emojis in front of specific names on the list may also indicate that he’s hiding something. For instance:

 

– Baby face 👶 in front of a name means that a user has added that person as a “Friend.”

– Star 🌟 in front of a name means that a person has reviewed that user’s snaps.

– Yellow heart 💛 in front of the name means a person is a “Best Friend.”

– Red heart ❤️ in front of the name means a person has been “Best Friends” for two weeks straight.

– Pink heart 💕 in front of the name means a person has been “Best Friends” for eight weeks straight.

– Smile face with sunglasses 😎 in front of a name means that a person has mutual friends with you. Here’s a guide on how to find someones real name online.

Is he cheating on Snapchat if he uses it too often? Pay attention to battery drainage. If his Snapchat is draining his battery more quickly than usual, it could be because he’s spending a lot of time on the app – and not all of that time may be spent talking to you.

By paying attention to these signs, you may get a better idea of whether your boyfriend is cheating on Snapchat – or on you.

However, beware that these signs may not always indicate cheating; they could just as quickly signify that your boyfriend is spending more time on Snapchat than he is with you.

If you’re concerned about his increased Snapchat use, you can use several methods to find out what he’s up to, instead of just relying on these signs.

Proven Methods to Find Out If Your Boyfriend Is Cheating on Snapchat

You don’t have to rely on guesswork and intuition to find out if your boyfriend is cheating on you through Snapchat. There are a few methods you can use to get concrete evidence and find out how will mobile apps affect your relationship.

Use Backup Programs to Recover Snapchat Messages

How to get in your boyfriend’s Snapchat? You can get back Snapchat messages that your boyfriend deleted by using a backup program like iMyfone D-Back.

This will allow you to see all the Snapchat messages he’s sent and received, even if he’s deleted them. To use iMyfone D-Back, you’ll need to:

 

  1. Download and install the program on your computer.
  2. Connect your boyfriend’s phone to the computer and select “Recover from “X” Device”.
  3. Click “Start” and then select “Snapchat” from the list of data types.
  4. Preview the recovered Snapchat messages and save them to your computer.

If your boyfriend has an Android smartphone, you can try this guide to recover deleted Snapchat messages from his phone:

 

  1. Root his Android phone.
  2. Download recovery software like EaseUS MobiSaver for Android and run it on your computer.
  3. Connect his phone to the computer and select “Scan for deleted files”.
  4. Preview the recovered Snapchat messages and save them to your computer.

 

Precaution: This method will only work if you have enough time to hold his phone and root it. If he is constantly using his phone, you won’t be able to get the messages you need. But don’t worry! We’ve got a trick for that, too.

Use Snapchat Spy App

If you want to know how to see my boyfriends Snapchats without him knowing, then you’ll need a Snapchat spy app. Despite how cybersecurity works , these apps are designed to run in the background of his phone, secretly recording everything he does online.

The good news is that there are a few great options out there, like mSpy, Eyezy, and Spymosnter. We’ve tested all of them and can vouch for their effectiveness.

With a Snapchat spy app, you’ll be able to:

 

  1. View his Snapchat messages, even if he deletes them.
  2. See who he’s been chatting with and what they’re saying.
  3. Track his location via GPS.
  4. Access his phone’s multimedia files, like photos and videos.

Unlike data recovery programs, a Snapchat spy app will give you real-time access to his account, so you can see everything as it happens. You need 5 minutes to install the app, and you’re good to go! Here’s how it works:

 

  1. Choose a spy app and create an account. We recommend mSpy, but you can choose any app from our list.

 

  1. Follow the installation instructions provided by the app. This usually involves physical access to his phone, so you’ll need to be sneaky about it!

 

  1. Once the app is installed, you can start monitoring his Snapchat activity from your device, whether it’s a phone or computer.

 

  1. Now you know how to see my boyfriends Snapchats!

In addition to Snapchat monitoring, apps from our list have many other features, such as GPS tracking, call monitoring, text message spy, and more. So, you can use them to keep tabs on his other activities. Even dating apps like Tinder or meet me outside dating app can be monitored with the right app!

But what if you want to avoid logging into your spy app account every time you hope to check his Snapchat activity?

Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.

You can set up Snapchat notifications in most spy apps so that you get an alert every time he sends or receives a snap. That way, you can check his activity in real-time without logging into your account constantly.

Notifications can be sent to your email address or push notifications can be sent directly to your phone. And if you’re worried about getting caught, don’t be! The best spy apps are completely undetectable on the target device, so he’ll never know he’s being spied on.

If you’re serious about catching your man cheating, then a Snapchat spy app is your best bet. Just be sure to choose one that’s reputable and has a good track record, like the ones we mentioned above.

“We met on Tinder and things were going great at first. But then I started noticing that he was spending more and more time on Snapchat, and he seemed to be getting really secretive about it. That’s when I started to worry that he might be cheating on me.

I didn’t want to confront him without evidence, so I used a Snapchat spy app. I chose mSpy, and within a few hours, I had access to all of his Snapchat messages.

Sure enough, he was cheating on me with another girl! I saw ‘fire’ and ‘hot’ emojis next to her name, and he was sending her photos that he had taken of me without my knowledge.

I confronted him about it, and he finally confessed that he had been cheating. I was heartbroken, but at least I knew the truth. If I hadn’t used a Snapchat spy app, I might still be in the dark.” – Liz S.

Conclusion

If you’re concerned that your boyfriend may be unfaithful, there are a few ways how to know if your boyfriend is cheating on Snapchat.

Check the Snap Map to see if his location matches up with his story, check his battery usage to see if he’s spending a lot of time on the app, and use a spy app such as mSpy or eyeZy to view his Snapchat activity remotely.

Whatever you do, don’t take any drastic measures until you’re 100% sure that he’s cheating—because there’s nothing worse than jumping to conclusions and accusing an innocent person of something they didn’t do.

#Facebook acquires MSQRD to compete with Snapchat by @Tiwaash

Snapchat has become uber popular with people to chat off late and has become the talk of the town giving tough time to competitors. Recently Snapchat acquired an app that is specialized in selfie animations called Looksery. Now, Facebook has taken up the challenge dominated by Snapchat by acquiring a similar app that goes by the name of MSQRD to bring similar features to its messaging service as well.

When Snapchat acquired Looksery, the app disappeared from app stores and instead showed up within the Snapchat app as a feature called Lenses. Now, Facebook has apparently acquired Masquerade which is often stylized as MSQRD. The startup also specialized in filters and lenses of sorts for selfies but instead focuses more on video rather than still images.

After the takeover, the key members of the startup which was originally based in Belarus will start working out of Facebook’s London office.

In the past, Facebook had tried to acquire Snapchat for a sum of US$ 3 Billion and when that deal fell through, they brought out similar features on their messaging platform. So this acquisition too should be a move to bring their messaging service to the same level or take it one step higher. Not sure just how and when Facebook is planning to implement this into their own products but, this giant is on the quest of getting everything under one umbrella.

Stay tuned for more tech buzz.

Snapchat Lets You Switch Between Cameras For Videos and adds security #SnapChat #Apps #iOS

The app i hate most has got a new feature for iOS. Snapchat as been around some time now and is mostly popular with kids and teenagers on Android and iOS.Windows phone users might see the app in 2020 as they continuously send law suits to those who make third party apps,they do not see the platform as a viable one and have recently said they might bring it to Windows,that will be the day you see pigs flying outside your window is how many see it..

 

Anyhow they have now updated the app so that you can chose between front or rear camera on you iphone,so iPhone users can only for now enjoy the new feature ,it probably will not be long before we see this option on Android and go know when that will happen on Windows

What’s New in Version 9.9.0

* Double tap the screen while recording a Snap to switch between the selfie and rear-facing cameras!
* Login Verification — when you log in to Snapchat on a new device, we can send you a SMS code to make sure it’s you! Turn on this feature in Settings.
* Battery filters — add a little something to your Snaps when you’re all juiced up 🙂 or low on battery 🙁

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