Instagram has stopped working properly, with vast numbers of people being told their account has been locked.
Users were unable to get online and instead saw a message indicating their account had been suspended. But the issue appears to be a technical problem, rather than a mass banning of accounts.
Still, the lack of clarity left users confused as the app suggested they had broken its rules and would be no longer able to use it.
Instagram is yet to address the problem publicly, and so there is no information on whether the suspensions were in error or a technical bug, and whether they will be reinstated after the problem is solved. The company did not immediately respond when contacted by The Independent.
It is just the latest in a series of major technical issues. Fellow Meta app WhatsApp, for instance, was hit by its own significant technical problems last week.