WordPress.org Temporarily Suspends Free Services Due to Legal Dispute
WordPress.org owner Matt Mullenweg informed through a blog post on December 20 that the platform has temporarily suspended some major free services. These include services like new user registration, plugin and theme submission, review and photo directory upload.
List of Suspended Services:
- New account registration on WordPress.org (although users can create their own WordPress account).
- New plugin submission and its review.
- New theme submission.
- Photo catalog submission.
Matt Mullenweg said that this step has been taken for two main reasons. First, to give WordPress.org volunteers a rest during the holidays and second, due to the ongoing legal dispute with hosting provider WP Engine.
He also said that due to the ongoing legal struggle against WP Engine, he is being forced to provide free services.
Legal Dispute and Controversial Statements:
The dispute between WP Engine and Automattic (the company that owns WordPress.org) escalated from September 2024. At the WordCamp conference, Matt Mullenweg further escalated the dispute by calling WP Engine a “cancer on the community”. He urged users to support hosting providers that contribute to the development of WordPress.
The dispute deepened in October when Automattic forked the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin and launched a new version called Secure Custom Fields. WP Engine, which had purchased the ACF plugin in 2019, called it its key asset and called Automattic’s move a “hostile takeover”.
Legal Action and Court Order:
WP Engine sued Automattic, accusing it of anti-competitive behavior. The court ordered Automattic to restore WP Engine’s services and reverse the fork of the ACF plugin. The court also said that Automattic’s actions have caused confusion and instability in the developer community.
Impact on the Community:
The suspension of services on WordPress.org can affect the work of developers and users. This decision can cause delays in projects and interruptions in workflow.
This controversy is raising big questions about governance and power dynamics in the WordPress community. Many members are demanding reconsideration of Automattic’s open-source commitment and independent operation of WordPress.org.
Matt Mullenweg also wrote in his blog post that this step is temporary and services will be restored soon.
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