[REVISION HISTORY]

US designation of Autistici/Inventati as terrorist group

Updated 12 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-19 12:23 UTC → 2026-09-26 17:54 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The United States Department of State and the Department of the Treasury have designated the Italian-based technology collective Autistici/Inventati (A/I) as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ (SDGT) organization. Utilizing legal authority from Executive Order 13224, the Trump administration alleges the volunteer-run collective provides digital architecture—including encrypted communications, web hosting, and email services—that materially assists violent far-left groups, Antifa cells, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party. U.S. officials claim these tools facilitate propaganda, recruitment, and extremist coordination, alleging the services have been used to plan or announce attacks in countries such as Germany and France. The designation enabled the immediate global deactivation of the autistici.org domain by the Public Interest Registry 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. Following these pressures, Autistici/Inventati announced it would cease all services, stating that continuing operations would pose a direct risk to its users. The shutdown has impacted other platforms hosted by the collective, such as ‘Switch Off’ and ‘NoBlogs.org’. While German authorities identified ‘Switch Off’ as a platform used to incite criminal acts and provide instructions for incendiary devices, Autistici/Inventati has rejected the terrorism label, describing itself as an anti-fascist movement focused on digital self-defense. Internet Society Italia has expressed concern, warning that the ability of service providers to exclude entities based on political positions poses a significant risk to an open and free internet. In response to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions, protests have erupted in Florence and Rome. In Florence, approximately 200 demonstrators gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate before marching toward the Prefecture to contest the punitive measures taken by the U.S. government against the group.

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