X Outage Hits Thousands on May 24

X Outage Hits Thousands on May 24

On May 24, 2025, X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, went down for thousands of users worldwide.

Downdetector.com reported over 7,100 complaints, with 39% tied to app access issues. Users couldn’t log in, post, or refresh pages. The outage sparked frustration, with many venting on other platforms like Facebook and Bluesky. This marks another disruption for X, raising questions about its stability since Musk’s 2022 acquisition.

Background of X’s Struggles

X, formerly Twitter, has faced challenges since Musk’s $44 billion buyout in 2022. The platform rebranded as X in 2023, aiming to become an “everything app.” However, technical issues and revenue drops have persisted.

A March 10, 2025, outage was blamed on a “massive cyberattack,” possibly from Ukraine, Musk claimed. Advertisers pulled back after the takeover due to concerns over content moderation, leading to a 66.3% revenue drop in the UK in 2023. Recent data suggests ad revenue is recovering, but outages continue to undermine user trust.

Why Did X Go Down?

The exact cause of the May 24 outage remains unclear. X’s engineering team has not released a detailed explanation. Posts on social media suggest server issues, with some users blaming cost-cutting measures like staff reductions.

Musk’s decision to fire half the workforce after the acquisition has been criticized for weakening technical infrastructure. A similar outage in March was linked to a cyberattack, but no such claim has been made this time. Speculation points to overloaded servers or software glitches as potential culprits.

X’s Official Response

X acknowledged the outage on May 24, stating that login and signup services were unavailable. The platform announced delays in notifications and premium features, apologizing for the inconvenience. No timeline for full restoration was provided. X’s engineering account,

@XEng, posted updates urging patience but offered little insight into the cause. Musk himself has not commented directly on this incident, unlike the March outage when he cited a cyberattack. The lack of clarity has fueled user frustration and skepticism.

Impact of Musk’s Leadership

Since Musk took over Twitter, X has faced ongoing turbulence. His push for rapid changes, like loosening content moderation, scared off advertisers, causing financial strain.

The platform’s valuation dropped to $10 billion in 2024 before a controversial $33 billion valuation in March 2025, when xAI acquired X. Critics argue Musk’s focus on his AI venture, xAI, and his role in the Trump administration have distracted from X’s stability.

Tesla’s 71% profit drop in 2025, partly tied to Musk’s political ties, highlights the broader impact of his divided attention. Outages like May 24’s further damage X’s reputation as a reliable platform.

The May 24 outage underscores X’s ongoing challenges under Musk’s leadership. Technical issues, compounded by staffing cuts and a rocky acquisition, have left the platform vulnerable.

While X claims to be addressing the problem, users remain wary. The merger with xAI and Musk’s political involvement add challenges, raising doubts about X’s future reliability. As competitors like Bluesky gain traction during outages, X faces pressure to stabilize or risk losing its user base.

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