Italian technology collective Autistici/Inventati (A/I) has announced plans to shut down its services following its designation by the United States as a terrorist organisation.
The volunteer-run collective said the designation resulted in the suspension of its .org domain and the closure of its bank account, making it difficult to continue operating.
Founded in 2001, A/I provides privacy-focused email, website hosting, mailing lists and blogging services to activists, campaigners and others seeking alternatives to commercial technology platforms.
The shutdown is expected to affect about 16,000 mailboxes, 1,500 websites, 5,500 mailing lists and 10,000 blogs, according to the U.S. State Department.
The United States designated A/I on August 26, alleging that the collective had provided support to extremist activists and organisations through services including email accounts, websites and communication tools.
A/I rejected the designation, describing itself as a collective of volunteers and digital activists that provides digital self-defence tools to activists, individuals, groups and associations.
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Two days after the designation, autistici.org became inaccessible after the Public Interest Registry (PIR), the U.S.-based operator of the .org domain, placed the website on serverHold status.
PIR said it was legally required to suspend the domain following the U.S. designation.
Banca Etica, an Italian bank where A/I held an account, also suspended the account, citing risks related to sanctions. The bank criticised what it described as the use of U.S. sanctions for political purposes.
In a statement announcing the shutdown, A/I said it had initially hoped to continue operating but could no longer do so responsibly because of the potential consequences for its users and associates.
The collective said it had promised to resist the designation for as long as possible but ultimately decided it had a responsibility to protect its users.
It said the possibility that its activities could expose people connected to the organisation to legal or financial consequences had left it with no alternative but to shut down.
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Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
