US designates 15-year-old Italian tech collective as terror organisation
The US government designated Autistici/Inventati (A/I), a 15-year-old Italian tech collective providing privacy-focused digital services to activists, as a terror organization. This designation led to the suspension of its .org domain and closure of its bank account, forcing the collective to shut down services for thousands of users, a claim A/I rejects.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the significant power of government designations to disrupt online services and raises questions about digital privacy, freedom of association, and the criteria for labeling organizations as terrorist entities. It impacts a substantial user base relying on privacy-focused tools.
For 15 years, Autistici/Inventati had operated as a volunteer-run refuge for activists and campaigners seeking alternatives to commercial online platforms. Then a US terrorism designation forced the Italian technology collective to shut its doors. According to a recent report by the news agency Reuters, the group has now announced that it will end its services after the designation triggered the suspension of its .org domain and the closure of its bank account. The shutdown affects a substantial user base. The closure impacts about 16,000 mailboxes, 1,500 websites, 5,500 mailing lists and 10,000 blogs, according to figures from the US State Department.A collective built on privacy-focused digital toolsFounded in 2001, Autistici/Inventati, known as A/I, provided privacy-focused email, websites, mailing lists and blogging services.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in