FBI Subpoenas Archive.is Web Registrar in Data Probe
▼ Summary
– The FBI is attempting to identify the owner of Archive.today and its mirrors by subpoenaing domain registrar Tucows for customer information.
– The subpoena demands personal details, payment records, telephone data, and internet session information related to the site’s owner.
– This information is part of a federal criminal investigation by the FBI, but no specific crime is referenced in the subpoena.
– Archive.today’s owner remains unconfirmed, with the original domain registered by someone using the name “Denis Petrov” from Prague.
– The site is commonly used to bypass paywalls, similar to 12ft.io, which was previously taken down for allegedly enabling illegal access to copyrighted content.
The FBI has issued a subpoena to web domain registrar Tucows, seeking detailed records that could reveal the identity of the person or group behind the popular archiving service Archive.today. According to a copy of the subpoena shared on the service’s official X account, federal investigators are demanding subscriber information, billing addresses, and contact details linked to the platform. This legal step, dated October 30, represents a significant effort by authorities to uncover the operators of a site that has remained largely anonymous since its creation.
Beyond basic subscriber data, the FBI is also requesting telephone records, payment information, internet session logs, network addresses, and details about services used by the site owner, such as email or cloud computing platforms. The document states that the requested information pertains to a federal criminal investigation but does not specify which crime is being investigated. This lack of detail has drawn attention from digital rights advocates and users concerned about privacy and government overreach.
Archive.today, which also operates under mirror domains like Archive.is and Archive.ph, was launched in 2012. Despite its long history and widespread use, the identity of its owner has never been publicly confirmed. The original domain registration lists an individual using the name “Denis Petrov,” a common Russian name, with an address in Prague, Czech Republic. Whether this is a real identity or a pseudonym remains unclear, and little additional information about the operator has surfaced over the years.
The platform is frequently used to bypass paywalls on news and media websites, functioning similarly to services like 12ft.io. That particular site was taken down earlier this year following legal action by the News/Media Alliance, which argued it provided “illegal circumvention technology” enabling users to access copyrighted content without payment. The targeting of Archive.today suggests that authorities may be examining whether it, too, facilitates unauthorized access to paid digital material.
(Source: The Verge)
