The applications and websites of Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram were exposed to a sudden technical defect in a number of countries in the region, which led to users being unable to access their accounts or use some services normally. Users reported that a “Please update to try again” message appears when trying to log in or browse the platforms, in addition to slow page loading and the breakdown of some features. It is not yet clear whether the malfunction is global or limited to specific countries, while the company that owns the platforms has not issued any official statement about the nature of the malfunction.