Entire internet will be saved in Canada to keep it from Donald Trump

The Internet Archive suggested that the decision had been made because of a ‘new administration promising radical change’

Andrew Griffin
Wednesday 30 November 2016 18:20 GMT
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Republican U.S. presidential candidates businessman Donald Trump and former Governor Jeb Bush are seen debating on video monitors in the press room during the Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas
Republican U.S. presidential candidates businessman Donald Trump and former Governor Jeb Bush are seen debating on video monitors in the press room during the Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas (REUTERS/David Becker)

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The entirety of the internet is going to be stored in Canada to stop Donald Trump losing it.

The Internet Archive – which exists to keep a store of the internet and of human knowledge – has said that it will be moving its store of the web to another country in order to keep it safe. It said it made the decision in the wake of the election of President-elect Trump, who has in the past suggested "closing up" the internet.

The decision has been made because libraries tend to get lost, it said. But that had become extra clear recently because of changes in the US, where its archives are currently stored.

Events including the election of Donald Trump have led to to realise that it needs to make another store of the huge amount of information it has stored up, it said. As such, it will put that information in the Internet Archive of Canada, in a project that will cost millions but will look to keep the data safe.

“On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change,” the archive wrote in a blog post. “It was a firm reminder that institutions like ours, built for the long-term, need to design for change.

“For us, it means keeping our cultural materials safe, private and perpetually accessible. It means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions.

“It means serving patrons in a world in which government surveillance is not going away; indeed it looks like it will increase.”

The archive is now asking supporters to help fund the decision by donating to it.

Donald Trump has given varying statements of his policy on the internet. But many of them have suggested that he will interfere with the web more and that he may look to shut parts of it off.

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