Internet Collective Autistici/Inventati to Dissolve Following US Terrorist Designation

The Italian hacktivist collective Autistici/Inventati has announced its dissolution and the upcoming closure of all its online services. This decision follows the designation of the group as a terrorist organization by the Trump administration on August 26. The collective stated that it can no longer guarantee the security of its members or its users, noting that the designation could lead to legal and financial consequences for those associated with them.

The US designation triggered immediate sanctions. The group's main domain, autistici.org, was frozen via DNS, and its PayPal account was suspended. Additionally, its Italian bank, Banca Etica, terminated its services to avoid potential secondary sanctions. While the collective briefly attempted to resist by launching a new site, keepitfree.ai, on September 2, it ultimately decided to shut down to protect its community.

Autistici/Inventati provided free digital infrastructure, including email and hosting for blogs and websites, for approximately 25 years. The collective has denied allegations of supporting extremist groups. It has advised users to back up their data immediately, warning that other domains could become inaccessible without notice.

Reporting on the event differs by political lean. A center-leaning source frames the event as an unprecedented attack on an alternative host and a threat to digital liberties. A left-leaning source frames the dissolution as a consequence of an escalating spiral of US sanctions against left-wing groups and questions the legality of these measures.