EDRi condemns US 'terrorist' designation of Italian digital rights group Autistici/Inventati

European Digital Rights (EDRi) published a statement on 3 September 2026 criticising the decision by the United States government on 26 August to label the Italian non-profit Autistici/Inventati (A/I) a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The designation was justified by A/I's provision of digital infrastructure to alleged violent far-left militants. EDRi added a note that on 6 September A/I announced it would shut down its services.

According to EDRi, A/I is a volunteer-run collective operating from Italy since 2001, offering email, mailing lists, blog hosting and privacy tools to groups and individuals in Europe and elsewhere. Its infrastructure currently covers 16,000 mailboxes, along with 1,500 websites, 5,500 lists and 10,000 blogs. The effects were immediate: the US-based Public Interest Registry disabled the autistici.org domain, PayPal seized the account, and the Italian bank Banca Etica might close its account out of fear of secondary sanctions.

EDRi argues that the move threatens freedom of expression, information, assembly and association, with a chilling effect on the many campaigners, journalists, researchers and unions using A/I. It also contends that the action undermines independent internet infrastructure and the Digital Services Act by classing everyday communication services as backing for terrorism, and that it infringes European sovereignty because an EU-based entity was sanctioned by a third country without judicial process.

The organisation calls on the US to reverse the designation. It asks the EU to create a standing mechanism, building on the Blocking Statute, to protect civil society organisations, and asks Italy to defend the group publicly. It also urges EU financial institutions and registrars not to act on designations lacking force in European law.