How Gray-Zone Hosting Companies Protect Data the US Wants Erased

According to Wirestock, Inc via Alamy Stock Photo, the article notes that since the new US administration took office in 2025, Kolja Weber and his team have been quietly helping abortion clinics, civil rights organisations and independent newsrooms relocate data to overseas hosting providers.

FlokiNET, based in Iceland, Finland, the Netherlands and Romania, has seen “nearly every week” new requests from clients seeking to move sensitive information to jurisdictions with stronger privacy protections, with DDoSecrets and WikiLeaks among the sites hosted in the past.

Other gray-zone players, such as 1984 Hosting in Iceland, report the same trend as clients look for safety outside US soil, and both Weber and Mordur Aslaugarson emphasise privacy and freedom of expression while cooperating with law enforcement when necessary. The firms maintain anonymous sign-up and payment, rely on open source tools, and operate under what they describe as “optimized legal frameworks” to manage data across different jurisdictions.

The piece also recounts previous takedowns, including a 2020 notice about Hong Kong independence content, and quotes Best of DDoSecrets about fears of government overreach. According to Wirestock, Inc via Alamy Stock Photo.