# BugMeNot.com shut down?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-shut-down/260435>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 18, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-shut-down/260435 "2004-08-18T19:36:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-shut-down/260435/1 "2004-08-18T19:36:52Z")

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I’m not sure if this belongs here in GQ, or in IMHO, but since it has a factual answer, I’ll put it here.

Has [bugmenot.com](http://bugmenot.com) been shut down? Was it for legal reasons? Any news?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-shut-down/260435/2 "2004-08-18T19:47:43Z")

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Looks that way, but I can find no information about why on Google News or other sources. Google’s cache of pages from [bugmenot.com](http://bugmenot.com) don’t shed any light, either.

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**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-shut-down/260435/3 "2004-08-18T20:51:50Z")

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Interesting, the site loads for me now but its only a bear bones creation with a couple of folders. Looks like a technical problem for now but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were hacked or shut down by some kind of legal action. Nothing in the news right now though.

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**Author:** ![Nobody\_Special](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nobody\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody_Special)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-shut-down/260435/4 "2004-08-18T21:29:38Z")

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What is/was [bugmenot.com](http://bugmenot.com)?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bugmenot-com-shut-down/260435/5 "2004-08-18T21:32:53Z")

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> [@Nobody Special](#):
>
> What is/was [bugmenot.com](http://bugmenot.com)?

It was a service that collected registration passwords for various websites that required free registration for access, such as many newspapers. It allowed users to view the content of said sites while remaining anonymous, and not having to bother with a lengthy or intrusive registration process.