Autistici/Inventati closes services after U.S. terrorism designation

The Italian tech collective Autistici/Inventati has announced the closure of its services following its designation as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ (SDGT) by the United States Department of State on August 26, 2026. The U.S. government alleges the group manages digital infrastructure for violent far-left militants, a claim the collective denies, stating they provide digital self-defense tools to civil society.

The designation led to the immediate global deactivation of the autistici.org domain by the Public Interest Registry (PIR) and the freezing of the group's bank accounts. Banca Etica, the Italian institution holding the collective's funds, suspended the relationship due to compliance risks, while publicly criticizing the use of anti-terrorism norms against dissent.

Internet Society Italia has expressed strong concern regarding the incident, noting a lack of evidence linking the collective to terrorist activities. The association warned that the ability of service providers to exclude entities from the global network based on political positions or the actions of specific users poses a significant risk to an open and free internet.