(Pixabay)

The company faces challenges on multiple fronts, but it was a dismal earnings report Wednesday that triggered the sudden collapse in its share price.

The icons of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp can be seen on the screen of a smartphone in Kempten, Germany, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa via AP)

The six-hour outage was a headache for many casual users but far more serious for the millions of people worldwide who rely on the social media sites to run their businesses or communicate with relatives, parents, teachers or neighbors.

Some 143 million Americans may have had personal information stolen in the cyberattack of credit-reporting company Equifax. What you need to do immediately.