Our SpinProfiles wiki website at www.spinprofiles.org was shut down by web firm 1&1 Internet on 21 June because we did not remove a profile on think-tank researcher Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, son of journalist Christopher Hitchens.

In an email dated Friday 18 June, 1&1's lawyers said SpinProfiles must 'immediately remove the profile' by midday Monday, or face being shut down. Although 1&1 do not host our site, the URL is registered with them. They gave no explanation of how the webpage violated their terms and conditions except that it included 'personal information' we did not have 'permission' to use.

SpinProfiles' editor David Miller wrote back asking for more precise details of the objection, arguing, 'It is clear that the content of the webpage in question is factual and backed up by sourced information. It cannot be wholly contrary to your conditions of service…'

The 1&1 legal team refused to elaborate further. We refused to remove the page based on such a non-specific objection. It is our editorial policy to correct inaccurate information as soon as it is brought to our attention and also to offer a right of reply. That policy remains in force.

Such drastic action by 1&1 is clearly an attack on public interest reporting and free speech.  In principle this kind of objection could close down a wide variety of websites and indeed most news media organisations.

We are working to get the site online again and ask our readers and supporters to bear with us. The full SpinProfiles website can meanwhile be viewed at another web address: http://www.powerbase.info