US Authorities Seize Italian Tech Collective's Servers in Amsterdam

Amsterdam police on Tuesday seized a server rented at a data center at the request of US authorities. The device reportedly belongs to the now-defunct left-wing Italian tech collective Autistici/Inventati (A/I), which for over 25 years provided free web hosting and email services to thousands of groups.

The Dutch police are creating a digital copy of the data to be transmitted to the US prosecutor's office under a bilateral mutual legal assistance treaty. However, if the server was indeed rented by A/I, any stored data has likely been deleted and overwritten multiple times, as left-wing tech collectives have historically faced repression and developed countermeasures.

This seizure in Amsterdam is the latest in a campaign initiated by the US government a year ago, initially targeting domestic groups. In September 2025, then-President Donald Trump declared "Antifa" a domestic terrorist organization. This was followed by a National Security Memorandum to combat domestic terrorism and organized political violence. Subsequently, the US State Department placed four foreign left-wing extremist groups on its list of "Specially Designated Global Terrorists."

The confiscation highlights concerns that US authorities are seeking to gather information on European activist groups. Autistici/Inventati ceased operations in August 2026, citing massive US repression and a lack of political support. The Amsterdam seizure suggests a continued effort by the US to obtain data from entities perceived as adversaries.