Scraping AO3 content directly violates the site’s Terms of Service. The OTW actively investigates reports of content theft and issues cease-and-desist notices to unauthorized mirrors when necessary. How to Protect Your Data and Account

If a fanfiction author deletes their work from the main AO3 site, an automated archival mirror might still hold a cached copy of that story. For readers tracking down lost or deleted fics, the mirror becomes the "exclusive" place left to read it. 2. Regional Access and Content Availability

Even if an author deletes their story from the official archive, the scraped version remains visible on the unauthorized mirror.

If you want, I can draft a specific announcement, mirror policy, or a short author's note tailored to a particular work or fandom — tell me the tone (formal/friendly) and any specifics to include.