TORONTO, ON —

Morning commuters across the city were thrown into confusion today as hundreds of riders reported that their siberX Transit Systems cards suddenly displayed a $0 balance, despite many claiming they had topped up their cards within the last 24 hours.

Long lines formed at station kiosks as frustrated passengers attempted to reload their cards—only to see their funds vanish immediately. Several users said their transaction histories had been wiped clean, showing no record of recent reloads.

Transit officials have acknowledged “intermittent account visibility issues” but have not confirmed the cause. The outage comes as the city continues managing system instability from earlier disruptions.

Social media erupts

Within minutes, social platforms were flooded with posts from confused and anxious riders:

“HELLOOO?? Just loaded $50 last night and now my card says $0?? I’m not walking to work in November.” — @sarahsnotes

“Everyone at St. Andrew station is standing around tapping their cards like it’ll magically fix itself. Mine just straight up reset.” — @johnnyboy

“Why is my siberX card acting broke when I’m not???” — @throughmylens

“Can confirm: vibes terrible, balance gone, line wrapped around the platform.” — @coldbrewandchaos

Some posts also claimed that tapping a second time would “force the balance to refresh,” while others warned that “cards are being drained with every tap.” None of these claims have been verified.

Confusion spills into stations

Station staff were quickly overwhelmed as riders demanded explanations, refunds, or temporary passes. One commuter described the scene as “a mix of panic, annoyance, and people loudly Googling whether this has happened before.”

Several stations briefly halted fare-gate enforcement to prevent overcrowding, allowing riders through while the issue was investigated.

Officials urge patience

siberX Transit Systems released a short statement saying teams are “actively working to restore accurate balance information” and advising riders to avoid repeated reload attempts until the issue is resolved.

No timeline for a fix has been provided.

In the meantime, social media continues to amplify rumours, speculation, and memes—none of which are helping restore calm to an already strained transit network.

Reporting where the public speaks loudest — online and unfiltered. — Jamie Mora

Ottawa, ON —

If you were on Canadian TikTok or X (formerly Twitter) this past Tuesday, you already know: everyone thought they were gonna die.

Phones across Ontario blared with an emergency alert around 8:37 AM:
“TSUNAMI WARNING. Evacuate immediately.”

No context. No follow-up. Just panic.

Cue the chaos: people sprinting barefoot through downtown, grandmas grabbing cats, someone live-streaming themselves crying in a bathtub holding a bike helmet.

Only it wasn’t real.

The federal government confirmed hours later that the alert was part of a cyberattack that exploited Canada’s emergency alert infrastructure.

And now? The internet is absolutely roasting the government.

SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS (BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY WENT OFF)

@urfavbarista (X):
ok but when the tsunami alert hit and my dad started packing granola bars while my mom yelled at siri, I realized we’re not surviving sh*t 💀

@imnotjennifer (TikTok):
POV: you’re trying to evacuate but your car’s outta gas, your phone’s at 2%, and you don’t know which direction is “higher ground” 💀💀💀

@shxwnxo (Threads):
CANADA: accidentally sends false nuke-level panic alert
ALSO CANADA: “whoopsies, that was hackers lol anyway”

@thepeachfiles (X):
why did the tsunami alert give zero context. like hi?? WHERE?? WHEN?? is it here?? is it vibing?? is it inn group chat???

@govtflop (X):
this country couldn’t organize a fire drill let alone a disaster response. bro we got hacked by a tsunami. a fake one.

REAL CONSEQUENCES, REAL OUTRAGE

Not everyone’s joking.

Hospitals saw a spike in injuries as people tripped, ran into traffic, or had panic attacks during the chaos. Some nursing homes began full evacuations before being told it was a false alarm.

And for young people, this isn’t just a funny TikTok trend. It’s a brutal reminder of how fragile things really are.

“We laugh bc otherwise we’d cry,” wrote one Reddit user. “Like we really live in a timeline where fake disasters go viral before real ones even hit.”

AND THE GOVERNMENT? RADIO SILENCE.

It took nearly 45 minutes for anyone official to say “it’s not real.”
Three hours for Ottawa to admit it was a cyberattack.
No word yet on who’s responsible. No apology. No plan.

Now there’s a Change.org petition with 100k+ signatures demanding a full public inquiry. Even Gen Z MPs are getting in on it — one called it a “national clown show” on livestream.

THE INTERNET’S VERDICT?

“Next time the world ends, I’ll wait for the TikTok to confirm.”
– @softcrashbandicoot

Reporting where the public speaks loudest — online and unfiltered. — Jamie Mora

As NorthSky Airlines scrambls to restore its digital systems following a cyberattack, passengers are already airing their grievances across social media—none more bluntly than a TikTok user who summed up the sentiment with a now-viral post:

“Big shoutout to NorthSky and its shitty app for causing me to miss my flight.”

In the 15-second clip, filmed from an airport lounge chair, the creator, @sillysarah —hoodie up, sunglasses on—sarcastically recaps her experience trying to check in through the app before finding herself locked out and left behind.

The video has since racked up over 14,000 likes and hundreds of comments, many from other users sharing similar issues with NorthSky’s mobile app during the outage window.

“Same here. Couldn’t check in, the kiosk didn’t work either. Almost missed mine,” one user replied.
“I had no idea it was even a cyberattack until a friend showed me the news,” said another.

In its most recent statement, NorthSky said it has brought in global cybersecurity firms to assist in its investigation and pledged continued transparency. Still, the lack of public detail about the attack’s scope has left room for online speculation—and anger.

“You can’t just tell people, ‘we’re working on it,’ and then disappear,” one comment on the viral TikTok reads. “It’s 2025. If your app fails, so does your airline.”

Reporting where the public speaks loudest — online and unfiltered. — Jamie Mora