The controversial Z-Library online eBook repository has once again returned to the web, this time with secret user URLs that attempt to hinder disruption by law enforcement.
Z-Library was one of the most popular websites on the Internet, offering almost 12 million books and 84 million articles in a massive 220 TB database for free via its website.
However, as this content is copyrighted, the website faced a series of law enforcement actions that seized Z-Library domains. In November 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest and charging of two Russian nationals suspected of the operation of the service.
After the law enforcement actions, the service continued to operate, but only with a presence on Tor and I2P privacy network services.
As first reported by TorrentFreak, Z-library announced on Saturday that the website is now available once again on clearnet sites using personalized domains for each member.
“We have great news for you – Z-Library is back on the Clearnet again! To access it, follow this link singlelogin.me and use your regular login credentials,” reads a blog post by Z-Library.
“After logging into your account, you will be redirected to your personal domain. Please keep your personal domain private!”
When a user logs into the site, they will now be provided two unique personal domain URLs that display a warning saying that they should be kept private.
These URLs can be used to access the Z-Library service directly from the web using a standard browser.
Source: BleepingComputer
The domains are registered on different registrars worldwide, allowing Z-Library to issue various personal URLs to members and continue operating on the clearnet even if one is shut down.
However, while this may hinder law enforcement and copyright holders, it will not prevent these domains from being seized. This is especially true for the singlelogin domain, as that is the primary avenue for new members to join the service.
Due to this, Z-Library warns that if the singlogin page is unavailable, users can use Tor or I2P to access the service.
“In case the singlelogin login page isn’t available to you, please use TOR/I2P to log in to your account, copy the URL of your personal domain and use it in your regular browser. We are already working on making the login page accessible to all users,” warns Z-Library.
Ultimately, law enforcement will not be able to disrupt this service until they arrest the others keeping Z-Library operating and seize the hidden servers running the service on Tor and I2P.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com