The foundational document of American democracy, the US Constitution, briefly disappeared from the official Congress.gov website, causing alarm among citizens and lawmakers alike.
For several hours, visitors to the government site found the Constitution inaccessible, with error messages appearing in its place. The unexplained removal quickly became a hot topic on social media, with some users speculating about sinister motives behind the disappearance.
Swift Restoration After Public Outcry
Government officials moved quickly to restore the document after the issue gained widespread attention. A spokesperson for the Library of Congress, which maintains the website, attributed the disappearance to a "technical error" during routine maintenance.
"There was no intentional removal of the Constitution," the spokesperson emphasised. "We regret any confusion this temporary outage may have caused."
Conspiracy Theories Run Rampant
The brief absence nevertheless fueled conspiracy theories across political spectrum. Some conservative commentators suggested the removal might be connected to ongoing debates about constitutional interpretation, while progressive voices questioned whether it related to recent Supreme Court decisions.
Legal experts were quick to dismiss these theories. "This was clearly a technical glitch," said constitutional law professor Eleanor Whitman. "The idea that anyone would or could 'disappear' the Constitution from official channels is frankly absurd."
Transparency Concerns Raised
The incident has nonetheless reignited discussions about government transparency and the importance of reliable access to foundational documents. "This shows how fragile our digital infrastructure can be," noted technology policy analyst Mark Henderson. "Critical documents like the Constitution should have multiple redundant access points."
Congressional staff have promised a review of website maintenance procedures to prevent similar incidents in future. Meanwhile, the Library of Congress has reaffirmed its commitment to keeping America's founding documents freely accessible to all citizens.
