OUTAGE HIGHLIGHTS HOW VITAL FACEBOOK HAS BECOME WORLDWIDE
AppleMagazine|Ocotber 08, 2021
The six-hour outage at Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp was a headache for many casual users but far more serious for the millions of people worldwide who rely on the social media sites to run their businesses or communicate with relatives, fellow parents, teachers or neighbors.
OUTAGE HIGHLIGHTS HOW VITAL FACEBOOK HAS BECOME WORLDWIDE
When all three services went dark Monday, it was a stark reminder of the power and reach of Facebook, which owns the photo-sharing and messaging apps.

Around the world, the breakdown at WhatsApp left many at a loss. In Brazil, the messaging service is by far the most widely used app in the country, installed on 99% of smartphones, according to tech pollster Mobile Time.

WhatsApp has become essential in Brazil to communicate with friends and family, as well as for a variety of other tasks, such as ordering food. Offices, various services and even the courts had trouble making appointments, and phone lines became overwhelmed.

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians in their homeland and abroad fretted over the WhatsApp outage.

Many of the country’s more than 11 million people depend it to alert one another about gang violence in particular neighborhoods or to talk to relatives in the U.S. about money transfers and other important matters. Haitian migrants traveling to the U.S. rely on it to find each other or share key information such as safe places to sleep.

Nelzy Mireille, a 35-year-old unemployed woman who depends on money sent from relatives abroad, said she stopped at a repair shop in the capital of Port-au-Prince because she thought her phone was malfunctioning.

“I was waiting on confirmation on a money transfer from my cousin,” she said. “I was so frustrated.”

This story is from the Ocotber 08, 2021 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Ocotber 08, 2021 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM APPLEMAGAZINEView All
VISA, MASTERCARD SETTLE LONG-RUNNING ANTITRUST SUIT OVER SWIPE FEES WITH MERCHANTS
AppleMagazine

VISA, MASTERCARD SETTLE LONG-RUNNING ANTITRUST SUIT OVER SWIPE FEES WITH MERCHANTS

Visa and Mastercard announced a major settlement with U.S. merchants on Tuesday, potentially ending nearly two decades of litigation over the fees charged every time a credit or debit card is used in a store or restaurant.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
TIKTOK BILL FACES UNCERTAIN FATE IN THE SENATE AS LEGISLATION TO REGULATE TECH INDUSTRY HAS STALLED
AppleMagazine

TIKTOK BILL FACES UNCERTAIN FATE IN THE SENATE AS LEGISLATION TO REGULATE TECH INDUSTRY HAS STALLED

The young voices in the messages left for North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis were laughing, but the words were ominous.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 29, 2024
TIKTOK IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FTC OVER DATA PRACTICES AND COULD FACE A LAWSUIT
AppleMagazine

TIKTOK IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FTC OVER DATA PRACTICES AND COULD FACE A LAWSUIT

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok over its data and security practices, a probe that could lead to a settlement or a lawsuit against the company, according to a person familiar with the matter.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 29, 2024
'GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE' CLEARS A LOW BAR
AppleMagazine

'GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE' CLEARS A LOW BAR

Forty years after “Ghostbusters” and following a string of sequels that never measured up to the 1984 original — beginning all the way back with 1989’s “Ghostbusters II” — it’s fair to wonder, well, who else ought we to call? It may be time to, if not give up the ghost entirely, at least give a flip through the ol’ rolodex.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
TRUMP'S SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY GAINS IN ITS FIRST DAY OF TRADING ON NASDAQ
AppleMagazine

TRUMP'S SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY GAINS IN ITS FIRST DAY OF TRADING ON NASDAQ

Shares of Donald Trump’s social media company rose about 16% in the first day of trading on the Nasdaq, boosting the value of Trump’s large stake in the company as well as the smaller holdings of fans who purchased shares as a show of support for the former president.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
NEW BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD REQUIRE ONLINE IDENTIFICATION.LABELING OF AI-GENERATED VIDEOS AND AUDIO 7
AppleMagazine

NEW BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD REQUIRE ONLINE IDENTIFICATION.LABELING OF AI-GENERATED VIDEOS AND AUDIO 7

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House would require the identification and labeling of online images, videos and audio generated using artificial intelligence, the latest effort to rein in rapidly developing technologies that, if misused, could easily deceive and mislead.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 29, 2024
US PROSECUTORS TRY TO SEND WARNING TO CRYPTOCURRENCY WORLD WITH KUCOIN PROSECUTION
AppleMagazine

US PROSECUTORS TRY TO SEND WARNING TO CRYPTOCURRENCY WORLD WITH KUCOIN PROSECUTION

A top U.S. prosecutor announced criminal charges Tuesday against a once-ascending company in the cryptocurrency world and two of its founders in a bid to send a message to other players in the industry to follow U.S. laws.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 29, 2024
READY OR NOT.AI CHATBOTS ARE HERE TO HELP WITH GEN Z'S MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES
AppleMagazine

READY OR NOT.AI CHATBOTS ARE HERE TO HELP WITH GEN Z'S MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES

Download the mental health chatbot Earkick and you’re greeted by a bandana-wearing panda who could easily fit into a kids’ cartoon.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 29, 2024
APRIL'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE PROMISES TO BE THE BEST YET FOR EXPERIMENTS
AppleMagazine

APRIL'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE PROMISES TO BE THE BEST YET FOR EXPERIMENTS

April's total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes and cosmic chance.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 29, 2024
APPLE ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE DATES.IN-PERSON EVENT
AppleMagazine

APPLE ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE DATES.IN-PERSON EVENT

Apple has announced their annual developers conference ‘WWDC 2024’ will take place June 10 through June 14.

time-read
1 min  |
March 29, 2024