On March 10, 2025, Elon Musk, CEO of X, reported on social media platform experiencing significant outages believed to be the result of what he characterized as a "massive cyberattack." The scale of the impact was substantial, with over 40,000 users reporting issues throughout the day, particularly noted by the outage tracking site, DownDetector. The troubles began early at approximately 6:00 AM ET, when the first wave of reports totaled around 20,538. Over the next few hours, the outages surged again, with nearly 40,000 users experiencing difficulties at 10 AM ET.
During Musk's Fox Business interview, which aired at 4 PM ET the same day, he claimed, "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." Musk's comments reflected the growing tension surrounding his leadership and policies, particularly amid his controversial associations with the Trump administration, which have riled various segments of the public. Following these allegations, Musk also expressed concerns about the IP addresses of the attacks originating from the Ukraine area.
Subsequent to Musk’s announcements, the pro-Palestinian hacking group known as Dark Storm Team claimed responsibility for the attack via a post on Telegram. Founded in 2023, this group has become notorious for its advanced cyber warfare strategies and vowed to target government websites of nations perceived as adversaries to Palestine, including NATO countries and Israel. Newsweek reported on this claim shortly after Musk's confirmation.
Isik Mater, director of research at NetBlocks, mentioned to NBC News, "It’s difficult to be certain, but ... targeting X’s infrastructure can’t be ruled out", reinforcing suspicions surrounding the nature of the attack. The outages witnessed on March 10 were consistent with the characteristics of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which focus on overwhelming servers to disrupt service. Many users described seeing error messages like "Something went wrong. Try reloading" when attempting to access the site.
The widespread disruptions reported on X included difficulties accessing various features, adding to the chaos for its users during times of high profile discussions. These occurrences are particularly notable against the backdrop of Musk's dramatic restructuring of the company since acquiring it, which involved laying off approximately 80% of X’s workforce.
Previous disruptions experienced on X/Twitter seemed to multiply the impact of this latest incident; outages were also reported during significant public events, including Governor Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign announcement. Notably, just one day prior to the incident, demonstrations against Musk’s policies surfaced at Tesla storefronts across the country, some resulting in violent retaliations such as shootings at Oregon dealerships. This social unrest coincided with the cyberattack and raised questions about the precarious balance between Musk’s business ambitions and his political engagements.
Musk's political affiliations have increasingly drawn scrutiny, especially as protests against his leadership spiked, labeled by dissenters as problematic for American governance. His involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency has prompted various cuts to federal programs, adversely affecting thousands. Reports state the federal government has seen major disruptions, including cutbacks to scientific research and public health initiatives, which have raised alarms among lawmakers and constituents alike.
Market reaction to these events has also been telling; Tesla's shares dropped by 15% on the same day as the cyberattack, marking losses sustained since the onset of Trump’s second term. This worrying trend could forecast additional instability for Musk’s ventures, particularly as rising tensions accompany his ambitions within the tech and automotive industries.
The potential connection of the cyberattack to geopolitical scenarios cannot be understated. Musk's vocal incidents with Ukraine, characterized by his calls against American aid to the war-torn nation during previous discussions, has fueled speculation about whether this attack could be retaliation linked to his online conduct. Musk's relationship with both online platforms and national politics is under continued scrutiny as the impact of these recent events lingers for all connected parties.
While Musk defended X against such cyber threats, his management style amid these challenges has drawn additional criticisms. Given the nature and timing of the attack, questions remain on how effectively he can navigate both corporate adversities and the geopolitical ramifications of his actions moving forward.
The stress tests of X coupled with the externally influenced protests present significant challenges for Musk, especially considering the outdated perspective many hold toward corporate communication and accountability during crises. Moving forward, the balance of combating cyber threats with mitigating public backlash will be key to his leadership and the resilience of the platform.