Wikipedia, the collaborative online encyclopedia, has officially severed ties with Archive.today (AT), a web archiving service. The decision, finalized in recent days, stems from a series of concerning actions by the archive site, including allegations of launching a denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against security blogger Jani Patokallio and, more critically, altering archived webpages. The move impacts the 695,000 links to Archive.today spread across approximately 400,000 Wikipedia pages, forcing editors to discover alternative sources.
The conflict began in 2023 when Patokallio published a report investigating Archive.today’s funding and the identity of its operator(s). According to reporting from Ars Technica, the site’s maintainers allegedly retaliated nearly three years later by using Archive.today and its associated mirrors to flood Patokallio’s website with traffic, effectively attempting a DDoS attack. This initial allegation prompted debate within Wikipedia about the continued use of Archive.today as a reliable source.
Altered Archives Seal the Decision
Although, it was the discovery that Archive.today had actively modified archived snapshots of webpages that ultimately led to the ban. Specifically, editors found that AT altered a third-party blog post referenced in Patokallio’s February 2026 article about the DDoS attack. The alteration involved changing the name “Nora” to “Jani Patokallio” within the archived version, creating the false impression that Patokallio had authored comments on the post. This manipulation, as documented in Wikipedia’s discussion, undermined the fundamental principle of archival integrity and cemented the decision to blacklist the site.
A Massive Undertaking for Wikipedia Editors
Removing nearly 700,000 links is a significant undertaking for Wikipedia’s volunteer editors. The community now faces the task of replacing those links with either the original source, if still available, alternative archive sites, or by removing the link altogether if no suitable replacement exists. According to Wikipedia’s discussion, approximately 15% of the links are considered irreplaceable. The process will require considerable time and effort, but editors deemed it necessary to maintain the encyclopedia’s commitment to accuracy and reliability.
The decision highlights the importance of trust in web archives. Archive.today had previously been valued for its ability to preserve webpages, particularly those behind paywalls or subject to change. Its speed and scraping quality were also considered advantages. However, the recent events demonstrate that an archive’s utility is contingent on its trustworthiness.
FBI Investigation and Questions of Identity
The controversy surrounding Archive.today extends beyond the dispute with Patokallio. In late October 2025, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) subpoenaed Tucows, Archive.today’s domain registrar, seeking information about the site’s owner(s) as part of a criminal investigation, according to Archive.today’s Wikipedia entry. This subpoena followed a 2023 investigation by Jani Patokallio into the site’s funding sources and the identity of its founder, as reported by news outlets.
The FBI’s interest and the subsequent actions by Archive.today have raised concerns about the site’s operations and the motivations of its maintainers. Patokallio, in a statement to Ars Technica, expressed hope that the situation would inspire the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind Wikipedia, to develop its own archival service.
The blacklisting of Archive.today represents a loss for users who relied on the service for access to archived content. However, Wikipedia’s decision underscores the critical require for reliable and trustworthy web archiving, and the consequences of compromising that trust.
The Wikimedia Foundation has not yet announced plans for a dedicated archival service, but the situation is likely to prompt further discussion about the long-term preservation of online information. The next step for Wikipedia editors is the systematic removal and replacement of Archive.today links, a process expected to continue throughout the coming months.
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