Archive.today Allegations: JavaScript Traffic Flooding, Operator Conduct, and Community Findings

ONGOING INVESTIGATION

Archive.today Allegations & Traffic Flooding Claims

Examining reported JavaScript behavior, DDoS-like request patterns, and serious allegations discussed by multiple online communities.

Simulation of Repeated Request Attack (Visual Only)

This simulation demonstrates the pattern described in reports — repeated requests with randomized query strings. No real network traffic is sent.

Total Requests
0
Interval
300ms

How the Reported DDoS-Like Behavior Works

According to technical analysis shared publicly, a page associated with archive.today was observed running JavaScript that repeatedly constructs URLs such as: 

https://example-site.com/?s=randomString

By adding a random parameter on every request, caching is bypassed and the destination server must process each hit individually. When repeated every few hundred milliseconds — and multiplied by many visitors — this pattern resembles a distributed denial-of-service attack.

Video Evidence & Walkthroughs

The following videos document the observed JavaScript behavior and explain why it raised alarm.

Allegations About the Operator (Reported Claims)

Multiple discussions allege that archive.today is operated by an anonymous individual reportedly based in Russia. Publicly shared chat logs and forum posts describe claims of harassment, threats, and attempted coercion.

Important: These claims are allegations only. They are presented here strictly as reports made by third parties and have not been independently verified.

One published correspondence describes threats to publish defamatory content and other forms of pressure. Readers should review the primary sources directly and draw their own conclusions.

Why This Matters

  • Archive.today is among the largest archive services on the web
  • Client-side traffic generation shifts impact onto unsuspecting visitors
  • Small blogs are especially vulnerable to sustained request floods
  • Trust in archival infrastructure depends on neutrality and restraint

Primary Sources & Discussions

Gyrovague – Original Investigation Hacker News Discussion Lobsters Thread Reddit DataHoarder Discussion Published Correspondence (Unverified Claims)

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