The Truth Behind The “Simpsons” Global Internet Outage Prediction

A viral video claiming that a global internet outage will occur on January 16, 2025, allegedly predicted by “The Simpsons,” has captured widespread attention.

According to the video, sharks chewing through undersea cables will cause this catastrophe, leading to widespread disruption in the United States. People cannot use computers and phones or make credit card payments, and Apple store employees must record orders manually.

The Simpsons, a long-running US TV show, is famous for its eerily accurate predictions, including Donald Trump’s presidency and a global pandemic. This new claim piggybacks on the show’s reputation, suggesting that an episode predicted a complete internet blackout.

The video also depicts a scene where the U.S. president, appearing agitated, addresses reporters about the outage. Interestingly, the show’s character, Bart, is unaffected, as he is relieved from doing homework. Despite its detailed narrative, the clip has been met mainly with humour on social media. One user joked about returning to the ’80s, while others relished the thought of a break from work. Another commented sceptically on the video’s authenticity, pointing out the improbability of such an event.

Despite accumulating over 5.6 million views and thousands of comments, the video’s claims are unfounded. “The Simpsons” does not feature any such episode, and the video likely results from creative editing using AI-prompt-based video tools.

While real incidents of sea creatures damaging undersea cables have occurred, these are isolated events. Tech companies have implemented protective measures like Kevlar-like wraps to prevent such damage. Even in the unlikely scenario of significant damage from marine life, it is improbable that it would lead to a global internet outage. Rest assured, the likelihood of your internet connection being disrupted by a “mega shark” remains extremely low.