Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC): The ‘Bit List’ of Digitally Endangered Species 2024: Interim Report Identifies Significant Little Change To Risk Profile Prompting Renewed Calls For Action

From the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC):

The DPC has released its 2024 interim report on the Global ‘Bit List’ of Endangered Digital Species today, for World Digital Preservation Day on 7^th November.

Fundamentally, the purpose of the Bit List is advocacy, bringing attention to at-risk data and providing independently verified evidence to support action and investment. Entries are compiled by open nomination and are reviewed by the Bit List Council which is drawn from a global expert community. It represents the voice of those charged with ensuring the continuing access to digital materials beyond the limits of technical obsolescence, media degradation or organizational change.

This year, 2024, is an ‘interim’ year. Last year, the Bit List Council completed a full review resulting in the fourth revised edition (The Bit List 2023). Since then, the Council has been keeping a watching brief on the digital species to identify and record any significant innovations or aggravating factors that might affect entries. The 2024 Interim Review synthesizes that review and offers an update on emerging risk trends.

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AI’s rapid expansion has introduced new uncertainties. Concerns include users deleting content to prevent its use in training AI models and website blocking scrapers, which could hinder preservation efforts. And copyright, intellectual property, and orphan works remain critical issues for many digital materials, not least in the world of video games. In the last 12 months, cultural classics have been taken off sale from digital stores, digital ownership has been challenged, and community-made emulators hav been shut down in the wake of legal threats.

In response to these emerging threats, and by reviewing the Bit List again in 2024, the DPC restates its call to action from the previous year: explicitly, for its members, partners and colleagues globally to take four steps in response:

• Preserve Digital Protest Materials: Act urgently to safeguard digital materials emerging from political upheaval. These records are at immediate risk and need your support now.
• Protect Digital Cultural Heritage in Conflicts: Close the gaps in international treaties to protect digital cultural heritage during conflicts. Recognize that cyberwarfare turns every connected device into a battlefield and grant special legal protection to digital heritage.
• Remove Barriers to Social Media Preservation: Eliminate obstacles that hinder the preservation of social media. Enable trusted and legitimate actors to take necessary preservation actions.
• Expand Digital Preservation Research and Capabilities: Invest in and broaden research and resources dedicated to digital preservation. Ensure we have the tools and knowledge to protect our digital legacy.

Direct to Complete Blog Post

Direct to Full Text Report: Global ‘Bit List’ of Endangered Digital Species 2024
189 pages; PDF.

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