The popular ebook piracy site, Z-Library, known for its extensive archive of free textbooks, was shut down after going viral on TikTok.
Z-Library used to have a massive directory of free, pirated ebooks and academic journals. However, after years of operating in the open, Z-Lib’s domains have been seized by US authorities—and TikTok users are blaming fans of romance novelist Colleen Hoover.
Z-Lib, like the Internet Archive, is polarizing. Many students use it to get access to otherwise unaffordable textbooks, but it’s unpopular among authors, who see ebook piracy as a threat to their livelihood. Over the past year, as Z-Lib gained more mainstream attention, the Authors Guild filed an official complaint with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, blaming piracy and naming TikTok as a key culprit in promoting Z-Lib to a wider audience. Meanwhile, Z-Lib was already facing legal challenges in other countries.
When you try to access Z-Lib today, the domains either fail to load or redirect to a page that says, “This domain name has been seized by law enforcement.”
Right now, BookTok is flooded with readers lamenting Z-demise, Lib’s with many focusing on the sudden inaccessibility of academic materials. “Actually started crying when I saw this, I have to pay a fortune for school books now,” one TikTok with 3.7 million views captioned.
Interestingly, this TikTok blames Z-Lib’s demise on “a colleen hoover fan,” a common theme in the ensuing BookTok backlash. Hoover is extremely popular on the platform, and while TikTokers promoted Z-Lib for a variety of reasons, Hoover’s novels appear to have been a particular target. Particularly her new book It Starts With Us. TikTokers openly discussed pirating the book from Z-Lib, even sharing step-by-step instructions on how to use the site.
This unidentified “Colleen Hoover fan” is an easy target for Z-Lib users’ rage. As with many viral controversies on TikTok, the source of the rumor isn’t entirely trustworthy. Many people are pointing to a viral (but now-deleted) TikTok in which someone downloads Hoover’s books from Z-Lib. The TikTok video was posted shortly before Z-Lib’s takedown.
“I will gladly blame BookTok for the removal of Z-Lib,” is a common reaction to this Colleen Hoover/Z-Lib TikTok. “Because I’ve been using this site almost every week since 9th grade with no issues.” However, as soon as it becomes popular on TikTok due to people being able to download their Colleen Hoover books for free, it is removed… You’ve got to keep an eye on these things.”
However, while the “Colleen Hoover fan” narrative is convenient, it is not entirely accurate. This Hoover TikTok appears to have gone viral at the wrong time, coinciding with the seizure of Z-domains Lib’s last week. In reality, the Authors Guild filed its complaint on October 8, following long-standing author concerns. Furthermore, Z-Lib was banned earlier this year in India and France, both due to legal challenges from publishers.
The Authors Guild complaint contains numerous references to TikTok, including a statement from a group of romance authors who claimed that in 2021, “TikTok behaved like jet fuel on the flames.” Every month, there was a new TikTok video that said something like, “Never pay for another book! You can find them on Z-library.” And these videos were viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.” Hoover is not mentioned by name, and she is not a signatory to the letter.
So the issue is less with Colleen Hoover fans specifically and more with TikTok culture in general, with BookTokers publicly discussing pirating free ebooks. If you advertise your crimes on a public forum with easily searchable hashtags, you will eventually be caught. That is why former Z-Lib users are requesting that TikTokers refrain from publicizing Z-Lib alternatives… Despite the fact that a quick TikTok search will bring up some people doing exactly that.
