The article discusses the impending loss of digital content as Google plans to deactivate its URL shortener service, rendering billions of previously accessible links inactive. This situation reflects a broader trend of digital decay, where significant portions of online content become inaccessible due to link rot, corporate decisions, and the ephemeral nature of digital storage.
Editor’s Note: As links become inactive, we face the risk of erasing significant cultural and historical records, potentially leading to a collective amnesia that undermines our understanding of the past. This situation is particularly alarming in the context of increasing censorship efforts by various states, which may use the ephemeral nature of digital content to control narratives and restrict access to information. By allowing links to vanish, we may inadvertently facilitate a form of censorship that not only limits public discourse but also shapes societal memory in ways that benefit those in power. [Our internet records are being attacked, see Internet Archive Hack Exposes Security Gaps in Digital Knowledge Preservation, Cyberattack on Internet Archive Threatens Digital History, Global Tech Outage Shows Dangers of Centralized Internet].
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