Is Facebook down? Facebook fail causes Internet flail

Facebook is suffering from an unknown technical problem that is causing the site to load slowly, or not at all, for some people.

Twitter is filled with cries of "dass Facebook down ist?" and "Facebook está caido" as people around the world realise that they'll have to wait to inform the world of their baby's latest fart.

Facebook told us that it's aware of the problem. "We're looking into it at the moment, but we don't think it will be long until it's up to normal site speed," said a spokesperson.

"Nobody's data has been compromised, it's just some slowness of the site."

It's a devil-may-care attitude for a site that has become the most visited site on the Internet, according to Google, with over 500 million users.

Facebook may be the world's largest repository of inappropriate party photos, but it's also become a tool for businesses and a vital link for people to stay in touch.

This month, a Red Cross survey said that people are turning to Facebook for help after emergencies, and FEMA, the American government emergency service, said that it's making social media and mobile "a priority." This includes the capability for disaster survivors to register for federal assistance directly on their smart phones.

Even we're not immune to Facebook FUBAR -- CNET UK moved its forums onto Facebook and Twitter this year. 

Update: As of 3.30pm, Facebook is back up and running