Rubio Uses Terrorism Law To Ban Secure Email Service

The U.S. State Department and Treasury designated the Italy-based technology collective Autistici/Inventati (A/I) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity, citing its provision of encrypted email, web hosting and anonymity services to far-left groups including Rose City Antifa and Jane's Revenge. The designation blocks Americans and U.S. financial institutions from transactions with A/I and freezes any assets under U.S. jurisdiction. In the days following the designation, websites hosted by A/I, including Rose City Counter-Info and the NoBlogs platform, went dark or became intermittently unavailable, though the State Department has not said whether a U.S. agency directly disabled the infrastructure. A/I denied the allegations, saying it provides tools for digital self-defense and free communication for activists. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctions target extremists who threaten to undermine law and order and destroy critical infrastructure, while the Electronic Frontier Foundation raised concerns about whether the designation could criminalize simply providing or using such a communications service.