The Internet Archive, a nonprofit that saves copies of old web pages, is creating a backup of its database in Canada, in response to the election of Donald Trump.
“On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change,” the organization wrote in a blogpost explaining the move. “It was a firm reminder that institutions like ours, built for the long-term, need to design for change.”
The Internet Archive is responsible for services like the Wayback Machine, a tool that allows users to access cached versions of websites long after they are pulled from the internet, and Open Library, which offers free access to millions of e-books.
The move will cost millions, according to the Internet Archive, which is soliciting donations.
In their post, the Internet Archive justified its decision to backup its data in Canada, claiming that Trump could threaten an open internet.
“For us, it means keeping our cultural materials safe, private and perpetually accessible. It means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions.”
During his campaign, Trump sparked fear among free speech advocates with threats to close up “certain areas” of the internet in an effort to prevent terrorists from communicating or recruiting online.
“Somebody will [say] ‘Oh freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people,” Trump said last December.
source:http://thehill.com/policy/technology/307942-internet-archive-putting-database-in-canada-to-keep-it-from-trump
