The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a subpoena to domain registrar Tucows in an attempt to identify the operator behind Archive.is, also known as Archive.today. Archive.is is a platform that stores webpage snapshots, commonly used to circumvent news paywalls.
The subpoena, part of a federal criminal investigation, demands ‘subscriber information on [the] customer behind archive.today.’ While the subpoena was meant to remain confidential, it was made public by the Archive.today X account on October 30, the same day it was issued. The document included a link to the PDF and the term ‘canary.’
If Tucows refuses to comply with the subpoena, the United States Attorney General has the authority to seek a court order for compliance. Failure to adhere to the court order could result in consequences for Tucows. The company, based in Toronto, Ontario, and incorporated in Pennsylvania, emphasized its commitment to free speech and expression online but noted its obligation to comply with valid legal processes.
Despite attempts to reach out to the FBI for comment, media inquiries have been limited due to the government shutdown. The FBI’s actions were first reported by German news site Heise Online.
Source: Ars Technica