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AO3 fan fiction site could be offline for weeks after hack
The Organization for Transformative Works says no AO3 data was deleted, but usernames, emails and hashed passwords may have been exposed; the readers are not calm.
On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN TonightPublished
Photo: Nzgabriel · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBNWatch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN Tonight at 8:00 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by The New York Times: “Hack Could Leave AO3, a Popular Fan Fiction Site, Offline for Weeks”, with reporting from TechCrunch via Yahoo Tech, Gizmodo and IBTimes UK.
- Covered on BBN on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 8:00 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- The New York TimesHack Could Leave AO3, a Popular Fan Fiction Site, Offline for Weeks
- TechCrunch via Yahoo TechFan-fiction site Archive of Our Own (AO3) could be offline for up to 4 weeks after security incident October 30, 2026 · facts used on air
- GizmodoPopular Fan Fiction Site AO3 Could Be Offline for a Month Following 'Security Incident' October 30, 2026 · facts used on air
- IBTimes UKFanfic Site AO3 Could Be Offline for up to 4 Weeks After 'Evidence of a Security Incident' October 30, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentDoctor Nina Byte. I've read the fine print.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAO3, the fan fiction archive with more than eighteen million works, is offline after a security incident, and its owners now say two weeks minimum, possibly four.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNo stories were deleted, but the nonprofit can't rule out that usernames, emails and hashed passwords were taken, so change any reused password.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentTwo weeks minimum, and every reader just remembered the download button.
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Photo: Jiří Sedláček · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
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From the archive: everything BBN aired on Friday, October 30, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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