arXiv has secured $17.2 million in multiyear philanthropic commitments from Simons Foundation International, XTX Markets, and Siegel Family Endowment to support its transition to an independent nonprofit. The funding will strengthen technical infrastructure, support ongoing operations, and improve services for the millions of researchers who use the platform annually across physics, mathematics, computer science, and related fields.
Google demotes HTTP websites in search rankings to force adoption of HTTPS encryption, claiming security benefits. While HTTPS protects data confidentiality and authenticity, the article argues the transition imposes significant costs on users with slow connections and smaller websites lacking Google's infrastructure resources.