Did the Sphere in Las Vegas display a “blue screen of death” (BSoD) during the global Windows outages caused by a CrowdStrike software defect on July 19, 2024? On Friday, Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity firm working with Microsoft, released a global software update that had major repercussions.
According to NBC News, the update triggered an IT outage, leading to disruptions in Microsoft systems used by businesses, airlines, and medical facilities worldwide. However, the image circulating on social media that makes this claim is false. It’s a doctored photo and has been spreading online since at least 2023. Also, it incorrectly says the Sphere is in Los Angeles, rather than Las Vegas.
Bizarre Claim
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The claim first surfaced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on July 19, 2024. The post read: “Los Angeles Sphere …”
The account also incorrectly said that the image displaying the BSoD was of the “Los Angeles Sphere.” In reality, the Sphere is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, as confirmed by the website.
The Associated Press reported that these outages led to delays in air travel and business operations, “highlighting the fragility of a digitized world reliant on only a few handful of providers.”
The “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD), a term used for Microsoft’s error message on computing systems, appeared on Microsoft systems around the world. This issue is illustrated in NBC’s special report, which can be watched below.
Doctored Photo Used to Mislead People
However, the image being circulated on social media is completely fake. The image is outdated and does not show the Sphere during the CrowdStrike outage that started on July 19, 2024.
Casino.org published the same photo in an article (archived here) from October 2023 titled “VEGAS MYTHS BUSTED: Videos Never Displayed on the Sphere,” saying that the image was originally shared in June 2023.
This screenshot from the 2023 Casino.org article displays the same image that was posted on X:
Moreover, using FotoForensics, a platform specializing in digital image forensics, the authenticity of the image can be examined.
Furthermore, no credible news sources have reported that the Sphere displayed a BSOD due to the global IT outage. For these reasons, the claim can be labeled “Fake.”
