Archive of Our Own (AO3), a popular platform for fan-written works, experienced a major setback on Monday due to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The website is currently inaccessible, and while the timeframe for its restoration is uncertain, AO3’s system administrators are actively implementing countermeasures.
A DDoS attack involves overwhelming a website with an excessive number of service requests to render it inoperable. AO3’s official Twitter account initially acknowledged technical difficulties on Monday morning, and several hours later confirmed that the website was indeed down due to a DDoS attack. At present, the site remains offline.
When contacted by Polygon, a representative from the Organization for Transformative Works (the non-profit organization behind AO3) stated that they have not received any communication from individuals claiming responsibility for the attack. The organization is committed to providing updates through AO3’s Tumblr and Twitter channels.
Established in 2008, AO3 is an open-source website managed by the Organization for Transformative Works. It offers a platform for users to upload and read fan-written content, having grown to become a prominent hub for fanfiction. With over 11 million works spanning across 57,840 fandoms, AO3 has earned accolades and recognition in the literary community. Notably, it was awarded the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Related Work in 2019.
