If you’ve been trying to reach either Facebook or Instagram (Insta) on Wednesday, March 13th, 2019, and are unable to, or are finding that even if you can reach Facebook or Instagram they aren’t loading quickly, properly, or at all, there’s a reason for it. Facebook and Instagram are, in fact, down.

Facebook acknowledged the situation, while not explaining it, in, ironically, a tweet from the official Facebook account:

We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing the Facebook family of apps. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Although they did later add that “We’re focused on working to resolve the issue as soon as possible, but can confirm that the issue is not related to a DDoS attack.”

Still, and as you might imagine, theories – conspiracy and otherwise – abound. Including that it’s that darned Mercury in retrograde. (How could the planet Mercury being in retrograde affect things down here? As Time magazine explains, “Retrograde motion is when a planet appears, when observed from Earth, to reverse direction. This happens due to an optical illusion caused by differences in orbit. In the realm of astrology, retrograde motion has negative connotations. Because Mercury is the planet said to rule communication, those who are astrologically inclined expect frequent misunderstandings, scheduling problems and disagreements with friends during this period. Since Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system, it enters apparent retrograde motion between three and four times a year, for about three weeks at a time. The frequency makes it an ideal scapegoat for any sort of misfortune, so much so that there is a whole website devoted to the question of whether today is one of those days — the aptly named www.ismercuryinretrograde.com — that one can visit to seek validation on a particularly bad day.”)

Of course, it’s unlikely that there is a planetary influence involved. Some note the timing between the outage and the most current update to the Facebook app. Others wonder if perhaps a disgruntled employee or ex employee may be to blame. Still others wonder if the massive storm which is pummeling several midwestern and western states, bringing blizzard conditions and several inches of snow in some states, and ripping the roof right off an Amazon warehouse in Texas, could be to blame.

Whatever the cause, you can be sure of two things:

1. Facebook investors are peeved; and

2. We will likely never know what really caused the outage.

Let us know if Facebook or Instagram are down for you, and where you are!

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