Authorities in the UAE have debunked recent claims regarding a potential global Internet service outage on October 11. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has labeled these reports as inaccurate.
In a statement, the TDRA urged the public to turn to their official channels for reliable information. “We strongly encourage everyone to rely solely on our official channels for accurate information to avoid unnecessary worry,” the authority communicated on platform X.
Various sources have pointed to an alleged widespread Internet service disruption. A manipulated video has been circulating on social media, showing a news presenter seemingly confirming that the Internet would be unavailable for a “limited period of time”. This video transitions to a well-known news segment, in which the imagined interruption is discussed.
However, Arabic media outlets have clarified that this video has been doctored. The actual episode, which was broadcasted in 2018, had the presenters tackling a completely different topic. In the misleading video, the visuals are intentionally blurred and overlaid with unrelated audio concerning an Internet disruption.
Some of these viral ‘reports’ on social media have wrongfully attributed the fictitious October 11 Internet outage to a ‘solar storm’.
Setting the record straight, the TDRA has definitively announced that there will be no interruption to Internet services on the mentioned date.