Torrent site What.CD closed after raid

Photo / 123rf

Popular music-sharing site What.CD has reportedly been shut down after a raid by French authorities.

The torrent site posted on its official Twitter feed today that the site was shutting down and "not likely to return any time soon in our current form".

"All site and user data has been destroyed. So long, and thanks for all the fish."

According to science and technology news site the Verge, the closure was the result of a raid by French cybercrime authorities.

What.CD said on Twitter that reports its database had been seized were not factual.

What.CD emerged in 2007 after the closure of another popular torrent site, Oink's Pink Palace.

The "invite-only" site was involved in a long-running spat with the music industry and law enforcement for its allegedly illegal operations.

Shortly after it launched many of its users received a hoax email purporting to be from the Recording Industry Association of America threatening to sue over illegal downloads.