Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), announced on March 10, 2025, the platform was targeted by what he claims is a "massive cyberattack" following significant outages impacting users worldwide. Amidst waves of complaints from users unable to access their accounts, more than 40,000 individuals reported problems at the peak of the disturbance.
The outages, which began early on March 10 and caused significant problems particularly for users across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, have raised concerns not only about the platform's security but also about Musk's controversial leadership and staffing decisions since acquiring Twitter for $44 billion in late 2022.
According to Downdetector, which tracks service outages, the first reports of issues surfaced by 5:00 AM ET, with the most substantial spike at around 10:00 AM ET when nearly 40,000 users experienced difficulties logging on, sending messages, and loading content. Each of the four separate outages recorded lasted approximately 45 minutes, but service remained sluggish throughout the day.
During the chaos, Musk took to X, stating, "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." He suggested some of the computers involved appeared to originate from the Ukraine area, though he provided no concrete evidence linking them to any governmental body.
This situation continues Musk's pattern of attributing technical disruptions to cyberattacks. He previously made similar claims last year when an interview with Donald Trump was set to be livestreamed on the platform and faced similar connectivity obstacles. While detailing this latest attack during an interview with Fox Business, Musk expressed uncertainty, asserting, "We're not sure exactly what happened," yet maintained suspicions about the involvement of organized groups.
Experts from the cybersecurity field, such as Chad Cragle of Deepwatch, weighed in on the potential severity of these incidents, stating, "It's cyberwar hitting at full force," implying these attacks could signal nation-state aggression as Musk finds himself at the intersection of political tensions and social media governance.
Reports of protests against Musk's oversight of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he drives staffing reductions across federal agencies, as well as vandalism incidents at Tesla locations, have fueled speculation about who might be targeting him and for what motives.
Despite the platform's continued outages, users are advised to verify if the issues persist on Downdetector and exercise caution against potential phishing attempts, particularly when cyber incidents can lead to security breaches.
Musk's leadership at X has been marked by drastic changes, including slashing the workforce and altering operational philosophy to promote what he describes as "free speech." His aggressive staffing strategy, which saw the layoff of approximately 80% of employees, has raised concerns about operational stability at X. Since his acquisition, the platform has undergone numerous technical disturbances and grappled with misinformation and content moderation challenges.
Interestingly, on the same day of the cyberattack, the broader market felt the impact of Musk's leadership, as Tesla's stock fell by 15%, erasing prior gains following Trump’s election. Investors are increasingly wary of the effect Musk's various affiliations – not just with X but also as part of Trump's push to reform government efficiency – might have on his businesses.
The consequences of these outages, combined with Musk's comments linking them to larger geopolitical dynamics, raise questions about the relationship between technology platforms and national security concerns. With Musk positioned at such a junction of business and politics, the scrutiny of his actions and the operational environment of X will likely only intensify.
It remains to be seen how Musk and his team will address these cyber threats, restore user confidence, and stabilize the platform moving forward amid growing turmoil and criticism.