US Sanctions Autistici/Inventati as a Global Terrorist Group
For the first time, the United States has struck with counterterrorism sanctions at the Italian hacktivist collective Autistici/Inventati, which for more than 25 years has provided activists with email, hosting, and tools for anonymous communication.
The Designation
On 26 August, the US State Department designated Autistici/Inventati a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed blocking sanctions. Washington asserts that the collective created and maintained digital infrastructure for Antifa cells and other radical left-wing organizations.
Washington’s Allegations
By the American authorities’ account, Autistici/Inventati furnished such groups with hosting on foreign servers, encrypted email, chats, video conferencing, and the infrastructure of the Noblogs platform. The US Treasury separately stated that structures linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party used the collective’s services. On this basis, Washington accused the collective of material and technological support for terrorist activity.
Who Autistici/Inventati Is
Autistici/Inventati emerged in Italy in 2001 at the intersection of political activism, the digital-rights movement, and hacktivism. The collective describes itself as a volunteer project of digital self-defence. According to Autistici/Inventati’s own statistics, its infrastructure serves around 12,000 mailboxes, more than a thousand websites, over 3,000 blogs, and roughly as many mailing lists. The services are provided free of charge, and volunteers review user applications by hand.
What the SDGT Status Means
SDGT status is not technically equivalent to inclusion on the US Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. Nevertheless, the consequences for infrastructure and finances remain serious. OFAC added Autistici/Inventati to its list of blocked persons and organizations. The collective’s assets under US jurisdiction are frozen, and American citizens and companies are barred from conducting most transactions with it. To wind down relationships already under way, OFAC permitted a limited transition period until 25 September 2026.
The Collective’s Response and the Fallout
Autistici/Inventati itself rejected the allegations, stating that it builds means for free and secure communication rather than infrastructure for terrorism. Two days later, the collective reported the practical consequences of the sanctions. Problems arose with the DNS of the autistici.org domain, PayPal blocked the project’s account, and Italy’s Banca Etica gave notice of its intention to terminate banking services. Some email and web services remained unavailable for a time.
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