The internet is being backed up in Canada to keep it safe from Donald Trump

A US organisation that stores 150 billion webpages is attempting to stop Donald Trump from losing or interfering with the internet by moving its digital library to Canada.

Internet Archive – a non-profit organisation dedicated to keeping a historical record of the internet – understands all too well that Trump can’t be trusted with such things. The president-elect has come out as something of an internet sceptic in the past, even stating (among the many corkers he came out with on the campaign trail) that he would like have a word with Bill Gates about “closing it up”.

Internet Archive, a major proponent of a free and open internet, is wasting no time by pre-empting any interference or cack-handedness from the Trump administration.

“So this year, we have set a new goal: to create a copy of Internet Archive’s digital collections in another country,” wrote Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle in a blog post. “We are building the Internet Archive of Canada because, to quote our friends at LOCKSS, “lots of copies keep stuff safe.”

“On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change. 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.

“Throughout history, libraries have fought against terrible violations of privacy—where people have been rounded up simply for what they read.  At the Internet Archive, we are fighting to protect our readers’ privacy in the digital world.”

Internet Archive archives its library on its “Wayback Machine”, a digital time capsule that’s been live since 2009 and stores webpages dating back to 1996 – an incredible 15 million gigabytes of date (tech speak for shitloads).

Kahle estimates that moving the store to Canada will cost millions, and is therefore asking supporters to donate. Sounds like a good use of five bucks to us.

And for a full list of everything Donald Trump has said he’ll definitely do from his first day in office, here you go.