Internet Society position on the consequences of the designation of Autistici/Inventati as global terrorist

Today Internet Society’s CEO Sally Wentworth issued a statement concerning the consequences of the Autistici/Inventati designation as global terrorist by the US governement.

The open Internet is made up of countless interconnected networks. At its best, it is resilient enough to withstand disruptions. But even narrow policy and commercial choices can have ripple effects that shape what people can access, how information moves, and who gets to participate online.

Late August offered a reminder of that reality with the domain suspension of the Italian nonprofit Autistici/Inventati (A/I). The suspension came in response to the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) decision to designate A/I as a Specially Designated Terrorist and add it to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list. […]

As we engage with governments around the world, we will continue to be clear about what is at stake: access to the Internet, secure and private communications, and the global foundations that make the Internet open, interoperable, and resilient. That bedrock of digital life must be protected. (from: Why Internet Infrastructure Decisions Rarely Stay Localized by Sally Wentworth)

Many other Internet Society local chapters have taken stronger positions, particularly the Italian one did so very early on September 6th, and it seems more people are awakening to what’s at stake, ie the freedom of the Internet as a whole and of its dream of making everyone free to express their own thoughts.

While we do not condone terrorism, we note that no evidence currently exists that the registrant has engaged in or supported terrorist activities. The designation apparently stems from the actions of some users of the registrant’s services and from the registrant’s clear political connotations. Both factors are disturbing: the idea that any email or web service provider could be labelled a terrorist organisation because of the actions of one of its users, or that a group’s political ideas could result in them being removed from the internet globally without any judicial review, should be of immediate and utmost concern to anyone who believes in an open and free internet (from: Open Letter of the Italian Internet Society to PIR, ISOC, ICANN and EURALO)