Is the Internet's History Being Erased?

On October 8, 2024, the Internet Archive (Archive.org) was hit by a major DDoS attack, forcing it to operate in read-only mode and halting new web archiving. For the first time in decades, there’s a major gap, as three weeks of online content are missing, making it harder to track changes or verify past statements. At the same time, Google quietly removed its cached-page feature, which once let users access older versions of web pages, and Amazon shut down its Alexa web ranking service in 2022, taking away a popular tool for assessing site traffic and influence. This isn’t just about outright censorship—it’s also about "quasi-censorship" through algorithms. Search engines are now ranking results based on “trusted sources,” pushing alternative viewpoints lower in search results. Many creators on platforms like YouTube have faced restrictions, forcing them to switch to places like Rumble to keep their content available. As access to online history becomes more limited, the internet’s original role as an open, democratic space seems at risk.