The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) continues to disrupt the world's largest shadow eBook library, Z-Library, by seizing more domains used by the platform.
Besides the b-ok.lat, booksc.me, and b-ok.as (first spotted by TorrentFreak), the list of domains taken down in this new round of seizures also includes singlelogin.me, which was previously the main URL used for logging in and registering new accounts.
"Unfortunately, one of our primary login domains was seized today. Therefore, we recommend using the domain singlelogin.re to log in to your account, as well as to register. Please share this domain with others," Z-Library said in a Telegram post.
"You can also restore access to your account or create a new one using our magic email address. Just send any letter from your mailbox to this email blackbox@zlib.se, and you will receive your personal access to Z-Library in the auto-generated letter within 3–5 minutes."
While the site's main login panel has been taken down, it remains available on the Tor network and through an alternative I2P address.
"We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience. P.S. TOR and 12P networks are still accessible," Z-Library added.
Z-Library's seized domains now display a banner indicating that the FBI seized them in accordance with a warrant issued pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981(b) and 21 U.S.C. § 853(f) by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Z-Library had previously faced a series of legal troubles, culminating last year with authorities seizing its domains and arresting two alleged operators in Argentina.
Previous copyright complaints against Z-Library have led to legal action that eventually compelled it to seize its domains back in 2015 and enforce domain blockages and DMCA notices in 2021 in the U.S. and France.
Following a string of law enforcement actions, two Russian nationals were arrested and charged on suspicion of operating the service in November 2022, weeks after the FBI seized Z-Library's clear web domains.
While the service continued operating after the domain takedowns on the Tor and I2P networks, Z-library announced in mid-February clearnet sites but, this time, using personalized domains registered on different registrars worldwide.
As expected, the secret personal domains for each user didn't stop the FBI from t taking down the main login portal available at singlelogin.me.
It remains to be seen if more domain seizures will follow, given that Z-Library still operates multiple clearnet domains. However, it's obvious that U.S. law enforcement agencies are determined to shut down Z-Library and find the people running it.
Z-Library provides free access to a vast database of almost 12 million books and 84 million articles, making it one of the most popular websites on the internet.
Comments
OneToGo - 1 year ago
What a pain it is to maintain domains... Z Library should just advocate and operate its hidden services. They have built-in authentication and anonymity. GTF out of the domain rat race.