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A significant service disruption hit Cloudflare users on Friday, 20 February 2026, as reports flooded in regarding access issues across various platforms. The web infrastructure and security provider acknowledged the situation, indicating that they were actively working to resolve the problems affecting their network. This incident, while notable, did not reach the extensive scale of previous outages the company has experienced.
Service Disruptions Reported Across Multiple Platforms
Cloudflare users encountered difficulties accessing numerous applications, including popular services like UberEats and the sports betting platform Bet365. Gamers also voiced their frustrations on Reddit, detailing issues with the Steam service, which relies on Cloudflare for its performance. In an official statement, Cloudflare confirmed, “We are investigating issues with our services and/or network. Users may experience errors or timeouts reaching Cloudflare’s network or services.”
The company provided an update at 2:45pm EST, assuring users that efforts were underway to restore full functionality. Despite the disruptions, the scale appeared to be much smaller than the catastrophic outages experienced in November, which affected thousands of users and rendered major websites like X (formerly Twitter) and ChatGPT inaccessible.
Context of the Current Outage
Cloudflare, integral to the online operations of many businesses and platforms, serves as a backbone for web speed and security. The recent issues coincided with scheduled maintenance at a data centre in Portland, although the company has not clarified whether this maintenance was a contributing factor to the outages. Notably, during the earlier November outage, DownDetector reported peak disruption levels reaching up to 11,000 users, while Friday’s incident saw peak reports of fewer than 500.
Historical Perspective on Cloudflare Outages
The November outage marked a critical moment for Cloudflare, as it highlighted vulnerabilities in the company’s infrastructure that many users depend on. Alongside the November incident, a shorter outage in December further emphasised the need for robust contingency measures. While the current event has raised alarms among users, it has not escalated to a crisis level akin to those earlier occasions. Cloudflare has yet to address the current outage on their official “Cloudflare Help” X account as of 3:30pm EST.
Why it Matters
This latest disruption serves as a reminder of the fragility of the interconnected web infrastructure that underpins much of today’s digital economy. As businesses increasingly rely on services like Cloudflare to maintain their operational integrity, even minor outages can lead to significant consequences, impacting user experience and trust. The ability of Cloudflare to manage and communicate about such incidents will be crucial in maintaining its reputation and user confidence in an era where digital reliance is at an all-time high.
