What was the 2000–2002 global decline in technology and Internet shares called?

The 2000–2002 global decline in technology and Internet shares was called the dot-com crash.

During the late 1990s, investors poured money into companies associated with the commercial Internet. Many firms had little revenue or no profits, yet their valuations rose rapidly because investors expected enormous future growth. The Nasdaq Composite reached 5,048.62 on March 10, 2000.

After confidence weakened, technology shares fell sharply. Higher interest rates, disappointing earnings, and the failure of many speculative business models accelerated the decline. The Nasdaq lost roughly 78 percent of its value from its 2000 peak to its October 2002 low.

The dot-com crash is related to, but not identical with, the dot-com bubble. The bubble describes the buildup in valuations; the crash describes the subsequent collapse. Some Internet companies survived and later became major businesses.