Vanishing Data, Diminished Justice: The Consequences of Federal Web Archiving

Federal websites and datasets  are essential infrastructure for American systems, lives, and livelihoods. Federal sources often provide open access to critical data, foundational training and education information, and key guidance used by practitioners to create healthy, thriving, and equitable communities. Since January 2025, Trump administration directives have resulted in the disappearance of more than 8,000 webpages and 2,000 datasets. Even though the Trump administration was ordered by federal court to restore many of the disappeared assets in February, the consequences of the administration’s actions have been stunning to witness: there has been staggering loss of public information, unraveling of public trust in institutions and information, blatant condemnation of science, and disregard for the public’s health.

At Community Commons and IP3 we believe that public information belongs in the public domain. Over the last seven years, we have indexed and provided public access to 10,000+ resources, tools, datasets and stories—many from federal sources—to support changemakers in advancing healthier, more equitable and sustainable communities. As news broke about the removal of webpages and datasets, we braced for impact, unsure how the loss of public information from federal sources might result in loss of data and resources curated for changemakers like you.

We have tracked federal information loss through our database—the Community Commons Knowledge Base—and have identified a few hundred items from federal sources within our Knowledge Base that have disappeared. More alarming than the volume of knowledge lost is the subject matter of what has been archived or removed. Below, we discuss what we have learned and highlight some of the important individual resources lost from Community Commons.

Key Impacts of Federal Webpage Archival

Public Health Resources Lost

Many webpages on key public health topics have been taken down, including pages on heart disease, hypertension, HIV, infant mortality, and suicide prevention, as well as disability and health resources, foundational public health training, and intervention planning tools.

Reduced Access to Population Health Improvement Resources

Access to some resources related to population health improvement and innovation and systems transformation have been lost, including seminal pieces on systems change from the CDC Foundation, and resources on data sharing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Loss of LGBTQ+ Representation and Data

Important LGBTQ+ health information and data have been lost as a result of Trump Administration executive orders. For example, the Census Bureau removed pages highlighting LGBTQ+ populations, diminishing the visibility and the availability of key demographic information needed to inform policy and research efforts focused on LGBTQ+ equity.

Environmental Justice Tools Removed

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has archived several pages critical to understanding and addressing environmental justice (EJ) issues, including:

• EJSCREEN, a valuable tool for analyzing environmental and demographic data;
• Pages on equitable development and EJ webinars that provided educational and practical guidance for advancing environmental justice efforts; and
• A commemorative video series celebrating 20 years of EPA’s Environmental Justice work, which featured federal and local government officials, nonprofit leaders, and students sharing stories and lessons learned in the EJ movement.

Climate Justice and Minority Health Information Removed

Many important climate change and climate justice resources have been removed, including those focused on populations of color and rural populations. At a time when the effects of climate change on health are intensifying, the loss of these resources hinders the ability of local governments, researchers, and communities to develop policies based on federal guidance and prepare for climate-related crises. Among the climate change and climate justice resources lost were the following.

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took down its climate justice page.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed resources on cancer among Black families and rural minority health.
• The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) removed various initiatives studying and addressing issues related to structural racism and discrimination, including funding opportunities, seminars and workshops, and blog posts and articles.

Why This Matters

The removal or archiving of federal web content has far-reaching consequences that affect government transparency and equity, and our ability to align and advance public health.

• Transparency and Accountability: Public access to federal information is a cornerstone of democratic governance. Removing or archiving web pages limits the public’s ability to hold institutions accountable.
• Equity and Inclusion: When key resources on health disparities, LGBTQ+ populations, and environmental justice are taken down, marginalized communities bear the brunt of the impact. These communities rely on open access to information to advocate for their rights and well-being.
• Impact on Research and Public Health Initiatives: Without access to foundational datasets, public health professionals and researchers face significant challenges in tracking trends, evaluating interventions, and advancing health equity.

What Can Be Done?

To address the impacts of federal website archival, we recommend the following actions:

• Advocate for Digital Preservation and Transparency: Support initiatives that promote the preservation of public information and advocate for transparency in the archiving process.
• Leverage Archived Content: Identify and utilize archived versions of federal web pages to retain access to critical information.
• Engage in Collaborative Efforts: Work with organizations and stakeholders (like us!) to document and share resources that have been removed and advocate for equitable access to public information.

The archival and removal of federal web pages poses a serious threat to equitable access to information, public health, and environmental justice. By raising awareness and advocating for transparency, we can help ensure that public resources remain in the public domain. Join us in advocating for the protection of the digital commons and advancement of equitable well-being through open access to data and information to drive meaningful change.