Eleven days after the Trump administration designated the Italian-origin hacktivist collective Autistici/Inventati (A/I) as a terrorist organization, the group announced it would cease its activities. The collective cited concerns about the safety of its members and users of its messaging and hosting services, which will soon be shut down. Across Europe, digital freedom advocates have raised alarms, calling this an unprecedented attack on alternative hosting providers that support online free speech and privacy. A/I, which was founded in Italy, was labeled a terrorist group on August 26. In response, the collective resisted by launching a new website, keepitfree.ai, on September 2. This site became a central hub for communication with supporters and users. The group emphasized that while it is not a neutral organization due to its ideological stance, it has never been convicted of any crime in either the U.S. or Italy. However, the designation led to a series of disruptions, including the freezing of its website domain, the suspension of its PayPal account, and the termination of banking services by its Italian bank, Banca Etica. On September 6, A/I shifted its tone, announcing that it would no longer be able to sustain its operations. The collective explained that the legal and financial risks to its members and supporters were too great to continue. "Every day spent online after August 26, 2026, was a victory, but we are now forced to stop," the group wrote in a blog post. It warned users that services such as autistici.org and noblogs.org would be closed soon and urged them to back up their data, as unexpected disruptions could occur. The shutdown of A/I has drawn strong reactions from digital rights organizations and supporters. Over 30 groups, including Framasoft and the Quadrature du Net, have condemned the U.S. designation as an attack on the principle of infrastructure neutrality. They argue that the sanction sets a dangerous precedent, as it threatens all alternative hosting providers that challenge the dominance of major commercial platforms. Pierre-Yves Gosset of Framasoft noted that being labeled a terrorist organization carries far greater consequences than a simple administrative closure. In response to the crisis, the Norwegian NGO Electronic Forpost Norge (EFN) announced it would take over part of A/I's infrastructure. However, users seeking alternatives to major U.S. tools may face challenges in finding equally secure and anonymous hosting options. The closure of A/I highlights the risks faced by digital freedom advocates and raises questions about how alternative hosts can prepare for similar threats in the future.