# Google Cloud Outage Disrupts UK Banking and Legal Systems A power event at London data centers halts critical financial and judicial services. - **Source:** [Business | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/business) - **Published:** 2026-10-20 - **Topic:** [Software & Engineering](https://brifing.si/c/engineering) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/bc082d9b-fb36-430e-bd25-e790432ba9ed ## Major Cloud Infrastructure Failure A significant outage at Google’s London-based cloud operations on Tuesday caused widespread disruption across the United Kingdom. The failure specifically impacted the europe-west2-b zone, leading to critical service interruptions for millions of users. Google identified the root cause as a power event, which triggered cascading issues for several major financial institutions and public services. ## Banking and Payment Disruptions Millions of customers at Lloyds, HSBC, and Revolut faced severe difficulties accessing their accounts throughout the morning. Users were unable to perform essential tasks, including card payments, cash withdrawals, and money transfers. While banking services began returning to normal by 3pm, the disruption left many individuals in limbo during the first half of the day. ## Impact on Judicial Proceedings The outage severely hindered the legal system in England and Wales by disabling the video conferencing technology used for remote court hearings. Defendants, lawyers, and other participants were unable to connect, resulting in multiple delays. This system is particularly vital for defendants in custody who rely on remote access to attend their scheduled court appearances. ## Regulatory Scrutiny and Oversight This incident marks the first major test for the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England since they gained regulatory powers over critical cloud providers this summer. The Treasury committee, chaired by Meg Hillier, has demanded a detailed report by November 4 regarding the regulators' response and the total impact on the UK financial system. ## Corporate and Public Response Banks like Lloyds and HSBC confirmed that their services were affected but reported that operations were returning to normal by the afternoon. Revolut assured its customers that their funds and data remained secure despite the app downtime. Other entities, including Rightmove, Royal Mail, and DPD, also reportedly experienced technical difficulties linked to the cloud failure. ## Google’s Investigation and Recovery Google reported that services began recovering by 1pm London time, with most systems restored by 3pm. The company has committed to publishing a full analysis of the incident once their internal investigation concludes. They have apologized for the inconvenience caused while working to resolve the power-related fault that crippled their London-based cloud computing operations. ## FCA Expectations for Firms The Financial Conduct Authority emphasized that access to money and payment systems is a fundamental requirement for the public. The regulator expects financial firms to resolve technical issues rapidly, maintain transparent communication with their customers, and ensure that no individual suffers financial loss due to these service disruptions during the outage period. ## Systemic Risks of Cloud Dependency The widespread nature of this outage highlights the systemic risks associated with the reliance on centralized cloud infrastructure for critical national services. As regulators increase their oversight of tech providers, the incident serves as a case study for the vulnerability of interconnected digital systems in the banking and legal sectors during unexpected power events. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/revolut-down-app-cards-service-disruption — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._