Interent DYN Hack Black Mirror Netflix Marketing

Skip navigation!

Photo: David Dettmann/Courtesy of Netflix.

Large swaths of the internet went down on Friday morning following a hack on a major DNS (domain name system) host named Dyn. Between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., users on the East Coast were unable to access sites including Twitter, Netflix, Spotify, CNN, The New York Times and Reddit, according to the Times. Hours before the hack, the hotly-anticipated new season of Black Mirror hit Netflix. The show examines the unsettling consequences of technology on 21st century life. Things like, you know, the information fabric that holds our modern world together being torn asunder by a malevolent web hack affecting potentially millions of people. Coincidence? Twitter thinks not.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

People are tweeting — some only half-jokingly — that Black Mirror is to blame for these outages. Many are speculating that the whole thing was orchestrated by Netflix as a flashy marketing stunt. "Are we sure Twitter being down wasn't just viral marketing for Black Mirror? Okay, we get it, we're addicted to technology. Geez," one person wrote. Another tweeted, "pretty sure black mirror is responsible for today's big internet crash. i have zero proof but it just seems right." Even Netflix got in on the fun, posting to Black Mirror's Facebook page, "We understand you have been having some issues with Twitter today. The service is no longer available to users below a 5 star rating. We apologize for the inconvenience." (We assume the broken link is intended.)

The freaky incident elicited more than funny responses, though — it stirred up exactly the kind of techno-paranoia and unease about modern life that makes Black Mirror such a darkly addictive hit. So queue it up and join our Binge Club for all the recaps.

The viral marketing for the 'Black Mirror' release is getting out of hand. https://t.co/MlEaZezd6Y
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) October 21, 2016

Are we sure Twitter being down wasn't just viral marketing for Black Mirror? Okay, we get it, we're addicted to technology. Geez.
— The D.C. Universe (@dcuniverse) October 21, 2016

Kind of strange that the internet shut down happened the same day new #BlackMirror episodes were released #justsaying #DDos
— Bari Lieberman (@BariLieberman) October 21, 2016

pretty sure black mirror is responsible for today's big internet crash. i have zero proof but it just seems right
— Jacob Kleinman (@jacobkleinman) October 21, 2016

Theory: Twitter going down is some sort of Black Mirror viral stunt.
— Ryan Teague Beckwith (@ryanbeckwith) October 21, 2016

Black Mirror comes out and the whole internet suddenly goes wonky? This can't be coincidence. https://t.co/bAFVT55bK2
— Ian Morris (@IanMorris78) October 21, 2016

Hi so there's something messed up on the Internet the morning #BlackMirror drops? IT'S FINE, EVERYTHING'S FINE.
— Kelly Lawler (@klawls) October 21, 2016

Is the internet going down today actually part of Black Mirror season 3?
— Die Will, Die (@TheWillThe) October 21, 2016

More from TV

Dora The Explorer Is Back. Here’s What The Character Has Me...

She’s back. Or, perhaps more accurately, she never left. The she in question? None other than Dora Márquez, the seriously curious, adventure-seeking 7-

by Mekita Rivas

Quiet On Set’s Giovonnie Samuels Finds Light After E...

Giovonnie Samuels is doing laundry when we hop on our Zoom call. What she doesn’t know is that I’ve got clothes spinning around in my dryer as well. We

by Niki McGloster

Lindsay Hubbard Will Be Watching Summer House Season 8 *...

Scandoval dominated pop culture in the first half of 2023, but for the well-versed in the Bravoverse, another couple’s demise capped a big year for the c

by Melissah Yang

AD Is The Latest Black Woman Done Dirty By Love Is Blind ...

Light spoilers for the first six episodes of Love Is Blind ahead. Season 6 of Love is Blind has only been streaming for a few days, but the jury is already

by Ineye Komonibo

Forget The Haters, Avatar Live-Action Star Elizabeth Yu ...

When Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender announced that newcomer Elizabeth Yu was cast as Princess Azula, some fans of the original Nickelodeon cartoon

by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Love Is Blind Season 6 Thankfully Brings Back The *Real*...

Spoilers ahead for Love Is Blind Episodes 1-6. Finally — a season of Love is Blind that actually fulfills the premise of the show. Since the Netflix seri

Bob Marley: One Love Is The Nuanced Representation Jamaic...

Bob Marley: One Love is a remarkable cultural centerpiece that charmingly bridges a gap between past and present, music and memory, culture and community,

by Shaznay Martin

A Kaiseki Dinner At 2 Michelin-Star N/Naka Transported Me Into Th...

If you live in Los Angeles, you know n/naka — or rather you’ve heard of the exclusive Japanese spot because reservations are so damn hard to get. There

by Melissah Yang

Griselda Is More Copaganda Depicting Latines As Criminals,...

I started watching Netflix’s Griselda with a healthy amount of skepticism. Following the success of Narcos and Narcos: Mexico, Griselda, featuring Colomb

by Nicole Froio

Black Women Won Big At The Emmys — But It’s Embarrassing Award Sh...

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards was a genuinely fun, surprisingly sincere celebration of television. You could tell that the production team behind the show

by Kathleen Newman-B...

The Food In The Brothers Sun Is Where The Heart Is

Spoilers ahead. “Have you eaten?” asks Eileen “Mama” Sun (Michelle Yeoh) in The Brothers Sun. Never mind that it’s the first time Eileen, who als

by Melissah Yang

The Best TV Shows Of 2024 That’ll Have Everyone Talking

The new year is fast arriving, and with it new television. After the year we’ve had, we deserve every last second. 2023 was plagued with months-long stri

by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

R29 Original Series

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT