The Internet Archive, a California-based nonprofit, is currently experiencing a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The attacks began over the Memorial Day weekend, causing significant disruption to the digital archive site. Users reported being unable to access Archive.org for several hours on Monday.
“Archive.org is under a DDoS attack,” the nonprofit announced on its X account Monday morning. While the data remains secure, most of the site’s services were rendered unavailable. Later that day, the Internet Archive mentioned some “back and forth with the attackers” and implemented changes to their service. However, details about the attackers or their motives remain undisclosed.
Despite claiming to have restored services by Monday afternoon, several users reported continued issues. The nonprofit confirmed on Tuesday morning that the DDoS attacks had resumed. Additionally, the site experienced network traffic issues on Sunday, which founder Brewster Kahle attributed to either an “over-aggressive crawling group” or another DDoS attack.
Founded in 1996 in San Francisco, the Internet Archive aims to provide “universal access to all knowledge” through books, websites, and other media. The nonprofit has faced numerous challenges, including recent lawsuits. In 2020, major US book publishers sued over its digital book lending program, claiming copyright infringement. A judge ruled against the program last year, but the Internet Archive maintains that “controlled digital lending” is fair use.
In 2023, Sony and Universal Music sued the Archive over its music collections, further complicating the organization’s mission amidst ongoing cyber and legal battles.
