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Wikipedia Breaks Ties with Archive.today: Hundreds of Thousands of Links to Be Removed
In an unprecedented move poised to redefine how online sources are documented, Wikipedia has decided to discontinue its reliance on Archive.today. The encyclopedia’s community concluded that continued use of the popular archiving service posed unacceptable risks to the integrity and security of its content and users.
Wikipedia Disconnects from Archive.today
The English-language version of Wikipedia has initiated a comprehensive process to block Archive.today and systematically remove all links pointing to its domains. This monumental task involves approximately 695,000 external references, spread across hundreds of thousands of Wikipedia articles. Such a vast undertaking marks one of the most significant organizational and policy shifts in the encyclopedia’s history.
Why the Drastic Action? Security Concerns and Content Integrity
This decision was not merely a routine editorial policy update. During extensive community discussions, it was revealed that Archive.today had reportedly been exploited as a tool to conduct a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack against an external blog. More critically, compelling evidence emerged suggesting that the content of archived pages on Archive.today had been modified after initial capture. This alleged alteration of archived material fundamentally undermines the service’s purpose as a reliable and trustworthy record of web content.
For Wikipedia, an organization built on the bedrock principle of verifiability and accurate information, these revelations represented an insurmountable breach of trust. The community determined that an archiving service capable of tampering with saved materials or jeopardizing user security could no longer be endorsed or recommended to its global readership.
What Happens to Existing Links and Future Archiving?
Following this decision, Wikipedia editors are now actively encouraged to remove or replace any links associated with Archive.today domains. In many instances, editors can revert to the original online sources if they are still live and accessible. Alternatively, they are advised to utilize other reputable archiving services.
Among the recommended solutions is the Internet Archive, which operates the well-known Wayback Machine. It’s crucial to distinguish this service from Archive.today, as the Internet Archive is in no way affiliated with the problematic service. For many users, both platforms were previously seen as similar tools, making this differentiation vital for understanding Wikipedia’s new policy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did Wikipedia ban Archive.today?
Wikipedia banned Archive.today due to evidence that the service was used in a DDoS attack on an external blog and, more importantly, because there were indications that archived content on the platform could be modified, compromising its reliability as a source.
How many links are affected by Wikipedia’s decision?
Approximately 695,000 links spread across hundreds of thousands of Wikipedia articles are affected and will gradually be removed or replaced.
What is the main concern with Archive.today?
The primary concern is the potential for tampering with archived content, which directly contradicts Wikipedia’s core principle of verifiability and trustworthy sourcing. Its alleged use in a DDoS attack also raised security red flags.
What alternatives does Wikipedia recommend for archiving sources?
Wikipedia recommends alternative archiving services such as the Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), which is not associated with Archive.today and maintains a strong reputation for preserving web content reliably.
What is the difference between Archive.today and Internet Archive?
While both offer web archiving, Wikipedia’s decision highlights a crucial difference in trustworthiness. The Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) is a widely respected non-profit known for its integrity, whereas Archive.today faced accusations of content modification and involvement in a DDoS attack, leading to its ban from Wikipedia.
Source: Ars Technica
Opening photo: Generated by Gemini
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