The recent shutdown of Archive of Our Own (AO3), a major platform for fan fiction, has ignited a fierce debate among its community. The site went offline on October 29 due to a "security incident," leaving millions of works inaccessible. For authors like Avery, who has been writing fan fiction for six years, this has raised significant concerns about the security of their content. Avery, who focuses on the gay hockey romance "Heated Rivalry," discovered her stories on unauthorized mirror sites shortly after AO3's closure, prompting her to reach out to these sites to have her works removed. Despite her efforts, she remains uncertain about the extent of unauthorized copies that may still exist online. Walter Hopgood, president of Squidge.org, which hosts Squidgeworld, confirmed that they remove works posted without the author's permission, but the situation has left many authors feeling vulnerable and frustrated.

The AO3 shutdown has led to a surge in alternative sharing methods among fans, with some readers uploading saved stories to shared Google Drives. This has created friction within the community, as many authors are unhappy with their works being distributed without consent, violating established fanfic norms and intensifying fears about AI scraping. One notable initiative, the Archive Salvation Google Drive project, aimed to compile fan fiction from AO3 but faced backlash for its controversial nature. Although the project initially provided a means for authors to request the removal of their works, it was hacked and is now inaccessible, according to a statement from a moderator on TikTok. The group continues to share fanfics through a closed Discord server, highlighting the ongoing struggle between preserving fan culture and respecting authors' rights.S1S2

Avery expresses mixed feelings about the circulation of her work in private drives, stating her primary concern is the potential for her stories to be uploaded to large, public libraries without her permission. The situation has also revealed a sense of entitlement among some readers, as Avery has received messages demanding to know where her fics are now available. This has left her disheartened, as she longs for the return of AO3 to restore normalcy within the community. She reflects on the negative impact of the current tensions, suggesting that the animosity between writers and readers could ultimately harm the fandoms they cherish. As AO3 remains offline, the community is left to navigate these challenges, with many hoping for a resolution that respects both authors' rights and readers' desires.S1S2