Behind the complaints: Investigation into suspicious pressure on Archive.today
9 days ago
- #FBI investigation
- #Archive.today
- #Web Abuse Association Defense
- FBI investigation into Archive.today revealed, with a subpoena issued to its domain registrar.
- Archive.today, launched in 2012 by Denis Petrov (identity unclear), allows saving web page snapshots, useful for preserving content but also bypassing paywalls.
- Speculation on FBI investigation relates to copyright or CSAM issues, indicating pressure on Archive.today and intermediaries like AdGuard DNS.
- AdGuard DNS contacted by Web Abuse Association Defense (WAAD), a French group, demanding block of Archive.today over alleged refusal to remove illegal content since 2023.
- Legal advice suggested French law (LCEN) might require AdGuard DNS to block Archive.today for French users, highlighting regulatory inadequacies.
- Archive.today responded promptly to remove illegal content and denied prior notifications, hinting at a campaign of serial complaints from French organizations.
- Investigation into WAAD revealed it was recently registered, with little public info, and possibly set up to hide identities behind it.
- Bailiff reports provided by WAAD were mostly created in 2025, not 2023, with some ordered by someone else, raising impersonation concerns.
- Connection between WAAD and a lawyer from previous complaints unclear, with signs of impersonation and use of LCEN law in both cases.
- AdGuard DNS plans to file an official complaint with French police, citing potential criminal behavior and false reports under LCEN.
- FBI investigation into Archive.today's owner may relate to CSAM, with timing coinciding with WAAD's complaints, though connection unconfirmed.