Musk’s X Back Online After Brief US, UK Outage

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Elon Musk’s social media platform X returned to normal operations after experiencing a brief outage that affected users in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

According to outage tracking service Downdetector, reports of disruptions in the U.S. peaked at nearly 40,000 before dropping significantly to around 730 by late morning. In the UK, more than 11,000 users reported issues at the height of the disruption.

The figures are based on user-submitted reports, meaning the total number of affected users may have varied.

X did not immediately comment on the cause of the outage.

The disruption comes amid ongoing structural changes within Musk’s business ecosystem. Earlier moves included folding X into his artificial intelligence venture xAI through a share swap, followed more recently by SpaceX acquiring the AI startup.

Germany Considers Social Media Ban for Under-14s

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Germany is moving closer to restricting children’s access to social media, as lawmakers from the centre-left Social Democratic Party joined their conservative coalition partners in proposing new limits.

The proposal calls for a formal ban on social media use for children under the age of 14. For teenagers aged 14 to 16, the plan suggests creating special youth versions of platforms that would exclude features such as algorithm-driven feeds, personalised content, autoplay and endless scrolling.

Supporters argue the move is necessary to protect young users from harmful online content including hate speech and violent material.

The initiative follows a similar push from conservative lawmakers, who are advocating for a broader ban for under-16s. With backing from both major coalition parties, the chances of new regulations being introduced have increased.

However, implementing nationwide rules could prove complex. Under Germany’s federal system, media regulation falls under the authority of individual states, meaning regional governments must coordinate to establish unified standards.

Germany joins a growing number of countries considering tighter controls on youth access to social media following similar measures adopted in Australia.

AI Spending Concerns Wipe Billions Off Big Tech

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Major technology companies have seen sharp declines in market value in 2026 as investors grow wary of whether massive artificial intelligence investments will deliver adequate financial returns.

Microsoft shares have dropped around 17% this year amid concerns about rising competition and risks tied to its AI strategy, erasing roughly $613 billion from its valuation.

Amazon has also lost nearly 14% of its value, shedding about $343 billion as the company signaled plans to increase capital spending by more than 50% to support its AI ambitions.

Other leading tech firms have faced similar setbacks. Nvidia, Apple and Alphabet collectively lost hundreds of billions in market value as investors shifted focus from long-term AI potential to nearer-term profitability.

The trend reflects a broader change in market sentiment, with investors demanding clearer earnings visibility after years of enthusiasm around AI-driven growth.

Meanwhile, companies tied more directly to hardware and infrastructure such as TSMC and Samsung, along with retail giant Walmart, have seen their valuations rise significantly over the same period.