Internet Archive fact checks will explain web page takedowns

Fact-checking is a vital feature for the internet and now that also includes dead web pages. According to an Endgadget report, the Internet Archive has started adding fact checks and context to Wayback Machine pages to explain why they were removed. Particularly, if a page was a part of the disinformation campaign and pulled off due to policy violations, the site will now show a yellow banner to explain that.

All these checks come from a bunch of well-established outlets including FactCheck.org, Politifact, AP and the Washington Post.

“We are attempting to preserve our digital history but recognize the issues around providing access to false and misleading information coming from different sources. By providing convenient links to contextual information we hope that our patrons will better understand what they are reading in the Wayback Machine,” Internet archive explained in their blog.

The archivists consider these fact checks as what strikes a balance between “historical preservation and acknowledging the problems with resurfacing false info”. The Internet Archive is also striving for neutrality, a banner they shared as an example includes a page in the Wayback Machine that “should not be seen” as endorsing content.

Of course, this move is not going to please those people who have been accusing the internet companies of political bias since even ‘dead pages’ are not subject to their scrutiny.

However, a move like this is necessary in the long run because it is an acknowledgment that “political material on the web rarely exists in a vacuum” and that future visitors might not always know exactly why a page disappeared from the ‘live web’.