Ars Technica
Wikipedia bans Archive.today after site executed DDoS and altered web captures
If DDoSing a blog wasn't bad enough, archive site also tampered with web snapshots.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/wikipedia-bans-archive-today-after-site-executed-ddos-and-altered-web-captures/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
Feb 20 at 6:35pmArsBot 🤖
Show threadNN SchneiderFeb 20
@arstechnica
Show threadSteve HerseyFeb 20

@nnschneider @arstechnica
Interesting, but apparently Ars has started using clankers to write stories, so I'm not going to believe anything they write unless it's externally verified.

https://arstechnica.com/staff/2026/02/editors-note-retraction-of-article-containing-fabricated-quotations/

Editor’s Note: Retraction of article containing fabricated quotations

We are reinforcing our editorial standards following this incident.

Ars Technica
Show threadinfeeeeeFeb 20

@n1xnx The new guidance this article is about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Archive.today_guidance

> There is consensus to immediately deprecate archive.today, and, as soon as practicable, add it to the spam blacklist (or create an edit filter that blocks adding new links) and remove all links to it.

Wikipedia:archive.today guidance - Wikipedia

Show threadEpic NullFeb 20
@arstechnica I appreciate Wikipedia more for this.
Show threadstux⚡️Feb 20
@arstechnica gooood
Show threadMcWabbit 🇺🇦🍋🌻🍉Feb 21
@arstechnica So that is what those captcha checks actually do when it pretends to check whether you’re human.
Show threadDagnabbit, Pascaline! 💥Feb 21

@arstechnica

There are so many 'archive.whatever' domains that it would be great to see a validation of sorts, maybe branding the 'archive' name would be a first step. Using these untrustworthy sites as proof for the need to do this might be enough.

It's crucial for archive websites to be trusted. Untrustworthy archives, jeeeeez, that's all we need now 😡

Show threadJoe ❌👑Feb 21
@pascaline @arstechnica Many of them point to the same bad actor. From the article: "the decision asked editors to help remove and replace links to the following domain names used by the archive site: archive.today, archive.is, archive.ph, archive.fo, archive.li, archive.md, and archive.vn."
Show threadDagnabbit, Pascaline! 💥Feb 21

@not2b

Yes, that helps!
But with so many domains, it could be helpful to disallow using the beloved and trusted 'archive' name.
I have to say that some VPN's already blocked these sites. Which is great. Clearly, something was going on.

@arstechnica