Incidents of Outage

On Monday, users of social media platform X faced connection issues, which were reportedly significant enough to disrupt service for many. These disruptions began around 5:00 a.m. EST, with reports peaking at 9:56 a.m., during which nearly 40,000 users registered complaints of accessibility problems, according to Downdetector, a site that tracks internet outages.

Elon Musk’s Response

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, claimed the issues stemmed from a “massive cyberattack” targeting the platform. In a post addressing the situation, he stated, “There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X. We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved. Tracing …”

Historical Context and Previous Incidents

This isn’t the first time Musk has linked an outage to cyber threats. In August 2024, he suggested that a cyberattack caused X to crash just before a scheduled interview with former President Donald Trump. However, he did not provide evidence to substantiate this claim as reported by the Associated Press.

Impact on Tesla and Public Perception

While X is a private entity and does not impact stock markets directly, its owner’s activities have influenced Tesla’s stock performance. Tesla shares fell by $41.26, or 15.7%, closing at $221.42 in late afternoon trading amidst various public backlashes linked to Musk’s role in government initiatives and his affiliations with Trump.

This relationship has led to consumer protests, with some Tesla owners opting to sell their vehicles in light of Musk’s government role. Additionally, there have been reports of vandalism targeting Tesla dealerships orchestrated by anti-Tesla demonstrators.

Company Communication

As of the latest updates, X has not responded to inquiries from CBS MoneyWatch regarding the outage. The company’s silence on the matter has left users seeking clarity on the extent of the cyberattack and its implications for ongoing platform reliability.