Russian authorities have blocked access to the paywall-bypassing website Archive.today and several of its associated domains, according to error messages displayed when attempting to load the sites.
Visitors encountered a Russian-language notice stating that access had been restricted by government decision, citing Roskomnadzor. The block was observed as of Monday when the sites were accessed from the U.S. East Coast.
Block Status And Limited Official Details
Roskomnadzor’s listing for Archive.is confirmed that access to the page is restricted, though no reason was provided. Archive.today itself did not appear on the agency’s public block list at the time of checking.
A representative for Roskomnadzor did not respond to requests for comment outside working hours in Moscow.
Access Still Possible Outside Russia
Despite the restriction notice, the sites remained accessible from other devices and networks, and users were still able to archive web pages. It remains unclear how broadly the block has been implemented or which entities are enforcing it.
Background On Archive.today And Recent Scrutiny
Archive.today is widely used to store copies of web pages, including content that may otherwise require a subscription or paywall. The platform has faced scrutiny in recent weeks.
Editors at Wikipedia recently removed a large number of Archive.today links after raising concerns about the site’s code. The editors said the code used visitors’ browsers, without their knowledge, to send large amounts of traffic to a blog that had criticized the service.
Featured image credits: Needpix.com
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