The United States has labeled the Italian-origin hacktivist group Autistici/Inventati as a "terrorist organization," according to reports from several news outlets. The designation was jointly announced by the U.S. State Department and Treasury Department on August 26, under the authority of Executive Order 13224. This order, issued by former President George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks, permits the government to impose sanctions on entities believed to support terrorism by providing resources or services. Autistici/Inventati, a group known for offering alternative internet services such as email hosting and website management, has been accused by the U.S. government of enabling "violent cells of Antifa and other ultra-left militants around the world" to operate without detection. The group is alleged to manage 16,000 email accounts, 1,500 websites, and 10,000 blogs, which the government claims are central to a transnational effort to destabilize the U.S. and its European allies. As a result of the designation, the group is now subject to sanctions that block its access to U.S. financial systems and prohibit any commercial dealings with it. The immediate impact of the designation included the blocking of Autistici/Inventati's PayPal account and the suspension of its primary domain, autistici.org. A technical analysis confirmed that the domain was blocked at the PIR registry, which oversees .org domains. While the @autistici.org email addresses are now non-functional, the group still maintains other domains, such as inventati.org and noblogs.org. Additionally, the group’s Italian bank, Banca Etica, warned it would cease providing financial services, potentially affecting its operations further. Autistici/Inventati describes itself as an anti-fascist, anti-racist, and anti-militarist group focused on supporting radical activism through alternative communication tools. The U.S. government claims that the group's infrastructure was used by anarchist groups to sabotage railway networks in several European countries in 2026 and by the Rose City Antifa collective in Oregon, which allegedly attacked customs helicopters and encouraged attacks on U.S. immigration enforcement. The group is also accused of facilitating calls to action in support of groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which the U.S. designates as terrorist organizations. Autistici/Inventati denies the allegations, calling the designation an attack on free speech and stating it will not be intimidated. The group claims its services are used only by those who share its values and emphasizes its role in supporting radical activism. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital rights organization, has raised concerns about the implications of the designation. EFF's director of international free expression, Jillian York, pointed out that the sanction targets the "messenger" rather than the individuals using the services, raising questions about how broadly the provision of digital tools can be interpreted as supporting terrorism.