People often say the internet never forgets. In reality, websites disappear, media companies erase decades of online content, and now a fight over artificial intelligence threatens one of the tools designed to preserve the web’s history.
In a new essay for The Atlantic, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle warns that publishers blocking the nonprofit’s Wayback Machine over AI-scraping concerns could leave gaps in the historical record without stopping AI companies from collecting data.
The problem is already widespread. A Pew Research Center study found that 25% of webpages tracked from 2013 through 2023 were no longer accessible by October 2023. Among pages that existed in 2013, 38% had disappeared.
That’s where the Wayback Machine comes in. It saves snapshots of webpages so people can revisit older versions of websites, sometimes recovering information that would otherwise be lost. But even the archive has limits. The Internet Archive found that only 16% of the vanished URLs in Pew’s study were accessible through the Wayback Machine.
Media Giants Have Already Erased Pieces of the Web
Two examples show what happens when entertainment companies decide their old websites no longer fit their business plans.
In June 2024, Paramount removed thousands of MTV News articles and interviews dating back to 1996, along with content from other network websites. The move pushed more viewers toward Paramount+ and other authenticated viewing options.
Two months later, Warner Bros. Discovery shut down Cartoon Network’s website, redirecting visitors to HBO Max. The site had been around since 1998 and offered show information, clips, schedules, and Flash games that were part of many viewers’ childhoods.
In an ironic twist, the two companies are now under the same corporate umbrella. Paramount completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this month, bringing their studios, networks, and streaming services together under Skydance.
These shutdowns weren’t caused by the current AI dispute, but they show why preserving the web matters. When companies change ownership, consolidate services, or redirect audiences toward paid platforms, pieces of their history can disappear along the way.
Kahle specifically points out that the Internet Archive preserves the archives of MTV News and BET.com, including decades of cultural reporting removed from the open web. Without that preservation work, finding some of those articles could be much harder.
Blocking the Archive Could Make Things Worse
Publishers have legitimate concerns about AI companies using their work without permission or compensation. Some major news organizations, including The New York Times and The Guardian, have restricted the Internet Archive’s access to their content.
However, the issue is not new. In January, Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab reported that publishers were restricting the Internet Archive’s access over concerns that AI companies could use its collections. Kahle acknowledges those concerns but argues that blocking the archive won’t stop AI developers from collecting data through other sources, including live websites, licensed datasets, and third-party collections.
The cost, Kahle argues, is a thinner historical record. That matters to journalists and researchers, but it also affects ordinary readers trying to verify a company’s past statements, find an old offer, or revisit information that has disappeared.
The same uncertainty surrounds digital entertainment. Microsoft, for example, shut down its Movies & TV store for new purchases in 2025, while Sony also announced in June the removal of previously purchased movies from some PlayStation libraries following licensing changes. Those situations differ from disappearing webpages, but they reinforce how much access to digital content depends on decisions made by the companies controlling it.
Can You Preserve What the Internet Is Losing?
The Wayback Machine can’t restore a deleted streaming show, make a discontinued game work, or guarantee that every webpage was saved. However, it can preserve snapshots of websites, giving people a way to look back after a company removes content or changes direction.
Anyone can enter a URL at web.archive.org to see whether an older version is available. For entertainment you want to keep, physical media offers another option. You can also digitize old discs and tapes to build your own streaming library, reducing your reliance on a company’s streaming app or licensing agreements.
Ultimately, the fight over AI scraping is about more than who gets to use online content. It’s also about who gets to preserve the internet’s history. The web may feel permanent because information is always a few clicks away, but access today doesn’t guarantee it will be there tomorrow. The Internet Archive can’t save everything, but keeping its resources accessible gives users a better chance of preserving what might otherwise disappear.
