Why the Internet Needs a Memory
Selected by Dylan Ratigan.
Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle argues that publishers’ restrictions on the Wayback Machine, imposed partly to prevent AI companies from accessing archived journalism, are damaging a public record used by reporters, researchers, historians and courts. He cites Nieman Lab’s count of more than 340 local-news sites limiting archive access by May 2026 and explains how archived pages can preserve deleted posts, changed government documents and public statements.
The essay identifies documented uses for archives and gives examples of journalism relying on preserved pages. Kahle is the Internet Archive’s founder and an advocate for the institution; his argument is not an independent comparison of AI safeguards. Publishers have legitimate copyright, licensing and paywall concerns, and the archive’s controls must be evaluated.