Zoom restores service after global outage disrupts thousands of users

Popular videoconferencing platform Zoom experienced a global outage on Wednesday, disrupting services for tens of thousands of users and affecting government proceedings in Hawaii and beyond.

The disruption began around 3:01pm US eastern time  time and lasted for approximately 30 minutes, with over 67,000 issue reports logged globally, according to outage tracking site Downdetector.com.

While Zoom cited server and domain name resolution issues, a hacker group reportedly claimed responsibility for the outage.

Many users encountered the error code 5003, affecting access to meetings, the Zoom phone system, web portal functions, and customer service centers.

Zoom later confirmed restoration of services via social media platform X, stating, “Service has now been restored after the earlier outage, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has become an essential tool for remote communication.

Wednesday’s disruption served as a reminder of its widespread impact and the potential vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure.