For a brief period on Monday night, a large portion of the U.S. experienced the world without Google. At about 9 p.m. Eastern time, the popular Internet outage tracking site Downdetector started receiving an influx of reports that Google services were not working. Within the hour, the number of reports reached 40,000. Users reported being unable to access Google search, as well as Maps, Images and Gmail. It took about two hours before the number of reports decreased.
How did Google temporarily kill the Internet?
Answer: They’re saying it was a software update, but there are news reports circling about a possible electrical fire.
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Or maybe, Google just wanted to give us a little reminder of just how much we depend on it.
For a brief period on Monday night, a large portion of the U.S. experienced the world without Google. At about 9 p.m. Eastern time, the popular Internet outage tracking site Downdetector started receiving an influx of reports that Google services were not working. Within the hour, the number of reports reached 40,000. Users reported being unable to access Google search, as well as Maps, Images and Gmail. It took about two hours before the number of reports decreased.
Google has laid the blame upon a software update. However, there are reports circling of an electrical fire at one of the company’s major data centers at about the same time. The center in question, located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is one of Google’s largest. Three electricians were injured in the fire and rushed away for medical attention. It is unclear at this time if the two events are related.
For a brief period on Monday night, a large portion of the U.S. experienced the world without Google. At about 9 p.m. Eastern time, the popular Internet outage tracking site Downdetector started receiving an influx of reports that Google services were not working. Within the hour, the number of reports reached 40,000. Users reported being unable to access Google search, as well as Maps, Images and Gmail. It took about two hours before the number of reports decreased.
