The Bad Bits Denylist is a list of hashed CIDs that have been flagged for various reasons (copyright violation, malware, etc).
The purpose of this list is to allow IPFS node operators (e.g. someone running a public IPFS gateway) to opt into not hosting previously flagged content.
View the Bad Bits Denylist (format specification)
The IPFS community Code of Conduct applies to content served over the official ipfs.io and dweb.link public gateways run by Protocol Labs. It does not apply to all IPFS nodes, nor to the IPFS network as a whole.
Reporting #
Please report any violations via email to the abuse@ipfs.io group. The IPFS Infra team will handle all reports.
Protocol Labs also has a registered DMCA agent, and a public Google Form for DMCA takedown requests linked from ipfs.io/legal.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Why are they called "bad bits"? #
We use the term "bad bits" when discussing topics involving copyright violations, DMCA, GDPR, Code of Conduct, or malware. This is a tactic to facilitate fruitful public discussion of concepts of freedom, censorship, privacy, and safety without slipping into destructive discussion patterns.
What is the denylist format? #
Bad Bits follow the Compact Denylist Format Specification published at specs.ipfs.tech.
The format is supported by many IPFS implementations such as Kubo (see content blocking documentation) or rainbow.
What is the legacy format? #
It is an old format where each entry is the hex-encoded result of applying sha2-256 to a <base32-encoded-cidv1-string>/<optional_path> string. This format is legacy and was superseded by the Compact Denylist Format Specification.
If you still need bad bits in the legacy format, it can be fetched from here.
I have other questions about IPFS gateways! #
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions about gateways in the main IPFS Docs.