Archive.today’s practice of bypassing paywalls is similar to other archiving tools like 12ft.io, which has faced legal action.

Ownership remains unconfirmed, with the original domain registered under a name that may be a pseudonym or a common Russian name, limiting publicly available information.

The FBI’s request to Tucows seeks extensive subscriber data, including customer names, addresses, billing details, contact information, payment methods, internet session data, device identifiers, and related communications.

The subpoena explicitly requests detailed subscriber information for the “customer behind archive.today,” instructing Tucows not to disclose the existence of the subpoena for the time being.

The FBI has subpoenaed Tucows, a major domain registrar, to identify the owner of archive.today (also known as archive.is or archive.ph) as part of a federal criminal investigation.

The subpoena seeks information about the owner of the archiving site, including the individual or entity behind archive.today.

Archive.today is known for bypassing paywalls and directing traffic away from original publishers, and the FBI’s request targets the owner’s identity and related data.

Historically, the site has connections to GamerGate-era activity and has been the subject of speculation about its operator, with investigative notes from third-party sources.

The surrounding text in the source appears to be dominated by sponsor content and promotional material rather than details about the investigation.

Archive.today’s mirrors (archive.is, archive.ph) and its governance, ownership, and privacy implications are discussed, including notes that deletion of archived pages is difficult and requires contacting the webmaster.

The subpoena and related reporting were first shared by archive.today on X, with coverage by German outlet Heise; responses from the FBI, archive.today, and Tucows were not provided.

Archive.today emerged in the early 2010s and gained prominence during GamerGate as a means to snapshot articles without boosting original publishers’ traffic, boasting hundreds of millions of saved pages.

Archive.today published the subpoena on X on the same day as the disclosure, signaling public acknowledgment of the investigation.

Public information about the operator’s history is limited; a 2013 analysis suggested a single skilled operator, with claims of private funding and notes that the site could cease operation at any time.

The subpoena relates to a federal criminal investigation but does not specify the exact charges.