A significant service disruption at internet infrastructure giant Cloudflare caused widespread outages on Thursday, December 5, 2025, taking down major websites and services including Zoom and LinkedIn.
What Happened During the Cloudflare Incident?
The outage began in the morning hours of December 5, impacting a swath of the internet that relies on Cloudflare's content delivery network and security services. The company, whose logo was prominently displayed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange just weeks prior in November 2025, quickly acknowledged the problem and launched an investigation. The incident highlighted the critical, yet often invisible, role such infrastructure providers play in global web connectivity.
Scope and Impact of the Disruption
While Cloudflare has not released a full list of affected clients, the disruption was confirmed to have impacted high-profile platforms like the video conferencing service Zoom and the professional networking site LinkedIn. These outages potentially affected millions of users attempting to work, communicate, and conduct business. The timing during a business day in North America amplified the disruption for companies and remote workers.
The cause of the outage remains under active investigation by Cloudflare's engineering teams. Such large-scale incidents typically stem from internal configuration errors, software bugs, or failed infrastructure updates, rather than external attacks. The company is expected to publish a detailed post-mortem report once its investigation is complete.
Broader Implications for Internet Reliability
This event serves as a stark reminder of the internet's centralized vulnerabilities. When a key player like Cloudflare experiences problems, the ripple effects are immediate and far-reaching. It underscores the dependency of modern digital economies on a handful of critical infrastructure providers.
For businesses and users, the outage reinforces the importance of having contingency plans for essential communication tools. As of the morning of December 5, Cloudflare's teams were working to fully restore services and understand the root cause to prevent future occurrences.
