A significant technical failure at internet infrastructure giant Cloudflare has triggered a massive online outage, rendering a host of popular apps and websites inaccessible for users across the UK and beyond.
Widespread Disruption Across Major Platforms
The problems began on 18th November 2025 and had been ongoing for over two hours by the time of the last update at 14:35 GMT. Visitors to a vast array of sites, from the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to the AI chatbot ChatGPT and the film review site Letterboxd, were met with error messages indicating a failure linked to Cloudflare.
One recurring error message seen by frustrated users read: “Please unblock challenges.cloudflare.com to proceed.” The betting site Bet365 displayed an even more alarming notification, telling users: “Sorry, you have been blocked. You are unable to access bet365.com,” and incorrectly flagging them as a potential security threat.
Growing List of Affected Services
According to the tracking service Down Detector, the list of affected platforms continued to grow as the outage persisted. The disruption impacted an incredibly diverse range of services, highlighting Cloudflare's critical role in the modern internet.
Services confirmed to be experiencing problems included:
- Social Media & Communication: X (Twitter), Discord, Zoom
- AI & Productivity: ChatGPT, Claude, Canva, Microsoft 365
- Gaming & Entertainment: League of Legends, Valorant, Among Us, Spotify, Vimeo
- Retail & Services: Vinted, IKEA, ASDA, Royal Mail, Amazon, Uber
- Finance & Betting: Bet365, Etoro, Paddy Power, M&S Bank, Visa
- UK Internet Providers: Virgin Media, EE, BT, Vodafone, O2
Uncertain Resolution Timeline
Cloudflare has acknowledged the issue and stated it is “continuing working on restoring service.” However, the company has provided no specific information on what caused the major fault or a clear timeline for when a full resolution can be expected.
The lack of a definitive fix means that millions of users relying on these platforms for work, communication, and entertainment face continued uncertainty. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the internet's reliance on a small number of critical infrastructure providers.
