Italian tech collective Autistici/Inventati shuts down after US terrorist designation

The U.S. government has designated Italian tech collective Autistici/Inventati (A/I) as a terrorist organization, leading to immediate sanctions and the collective’s decision to shut down operations. The State Department alleges A/I provides critical digital infrastructure to left-wing extremist groups globally, including those involved in plotting attacks and protests. The swift response from U.S.-based companies like Public Interest Registry to suspend A/I’s domain and banking services highlights concerns about potential overreach and the impact on digital sovereignty and privacy protections in Europe.

Founded in 2001, A/I was a volunteer-run collective dedicated to providing secure, non-commercial digital tools to activists and those seeking to resist corporate and government control of the internet. Its services included encrypted chats and email, web hosting, secure video conferencing, and anonymity shields, catering to a global network of left-wing activists and dissidents.

On August 26, the State Department labeled A/I an “extremist group” operating infrastructure for “far-left militants across the world” and announced that anyone engaging with the group financially risked exposure to sanctions. The agency cited examples of sabotage attacks on rail and energy systems in Europe, bombings of crisis pregnancy centers in the U.S., and protests against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center (known as “Cop City”).

A/I initially responded defiantly, stating that the U.S. had “unjustly designated us as terrorists” and threatened to freeze their servers and accounts. However, the collective ultimately announced its shutdown, instructing users on how to back up their content.

Public Interest Registry, a U.S.-based domain name registrar, immediately suspended A/I’s domain – .org – on August 28, and the collective’s Italian bank, Banca Etica, suspended its account due to the sanctions risks. The swift action underscores concerns about the potential for U.S. sanctions to be used to stifle dissent and undermine digital freedom abroad.

Anne Roth, a digital policy advisor for the German leftist party, began using A/I’s blogging platform, Noblogs, in 2007 after her partner was accused of terrorism. She described the shutdown as “someone is sort of just stealing my home from me — my online home.”

The case has also sparked debate about digital sovereignty and the role of U.S. influence in global internet governance. A European Digital Rights advocacy group stated that the sanctions “create a dangerous precedent for non-commercial hosts, registrars and privacy-preserving services across Europe.”

James Reddick has worked as a journalist around the world, including in Lebanon and in Cambodia, where he was Deputy Managing Editor of The Phnom Penh Post. He is also a radio and podcast producer for outlets like Snap Judgment.