Is fsf.org legit?
While the Free Software Foundation (fsf.org) usually represents a legitimate, long-standing organization, its website is currently unreachable due to severe technical issues. This makes it impossible to verify its current content or purpose, raising significant concerns about its operability and security.
Nonprofit average: 81/100 · based on 19 sites
Checked: April 18, 2026 at 8:08 AM UTC · Refresh
Is fsf.org a scam? Here's what we found.
This is the biggest red flag: the site cannot establish an HTTPS connection, making any interaction inherently insecure. While Google Web Risk reports it as clean, the inability to access it securely overrides this positive signal.
The domain is incredibly old, dating back to 1991, and is registered through a reputable registrar. This longevity strongly suggests a well-established entity, consistent with what is publicly known about the Free Software Foundation.
The domain's age and high Tranco rank point to a historically reputable site. However, the current unreachability casts a shadow over its immediate reputation, as users cannot access its services or information.
The missing favicon is a minor detail, but the site's overall unreachability means we cannot assess its transparency through content like 'about us' pages or contact info, which is critical for a nonprofit.
Without being able to access the site, it's impossible to check for essential compliance elements like privacy policies or terms of service. This is a significant gap given the site's historical prominence.
The core problem is the site's unreachability, indicating a fundamental server or network failure. While DNS records, email configurations, and SPF/DMARC are otherwise well-configured, they are irrelevant if the site itself cannot be loaded.
Signals Detected
This is a well-known, high-traffic website
Could not load website: Get "https://www.fsf.org/": remote error: tls: handshake failure
This business has no Trustpilot presence — not unusual for smaller or newer companies
crt.sh returned status 429
No favicon found — unusual for an established business
Could not reach site: Head "https://fsf.org": remote error: tls: handshake failure
No threats detected by Google Web Risk
Domain created 1991-02-01T05:00:00Z (35 years, 8 months ago)
Registered through Gandi SAS
Expires in 289 days
DNSSEC status from WHOIS
Could not establish TLS connection: remote error: tls: handshake failure
Not found on any DNS blacklists
No robots.txt file — common for small sites
Resolves to: 2001:470:142:4::a, 209.51.188.174
Mail servers: mail.fsf.org.
Domain has SPF email authentication configured
Domain has DMARC email authentication configured
DNS providers: ns4.gnu.org., ns2.gnu.org., ns1.gnu.org.
No sitemap found — common for smaller sites
Could not query Wayback Machine
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