PSA: Internet Archive "glitch" deletes years of user data and accounts

A recent glitch at the Internet Archive has resulted in the deletion of numerous user accounts and years of data, affecting many users, including one who lost a decade's worth of information. The incident, which occurred around mid-July, has not been proactively addressed by the Internet Archive, as they are not reaching out to affected users. Instead, users must create new accounts to potentially recover their old uploads, but only if they use the same email address as before. This has led to dead links across the internet and significant data loss, undermining the Archive's mission of preserving information. The full extent of the data loss and the number of affected accounts remain unclear, as the organization has not provided detailed information. Users have expressed frustration with the support experience, reporting inadequate responses and unauthorized changes to their accounts. The situation has raised concerns about the reliability of the Internet Archive as a safe repository for data. Discussions about the issue are ongoing in various online forums and social media platforms. The story is still developing, and the press has been notified of the situation.