[Chapter-delegates] We should speak up about the disabling of autistici.org

[Hank Nussbacher]

On 03/09/2026 23:18, Sebastian Bellagamba via Chapter-delegates wrote:

Hi,

There are so many gtlds these days, why not just leave .org and move 
your content to any of the other possibilities:
https://getnonprofitweb.site/top-level-domain-for-nonprofits/
as well as .community (examples - https://samarth.community/ - 
https://mlops.community/)
and ISOC can come out with an FAQ recommending when to use a .org domain 
and when to use an alternative.

Regards,
Hank Nussbacher
ISOC-IL


> Dear Chapter Delegates,
>
>
> I want to follow up on my initial note about PIR’s suspension of 
> autistici.org and to thank those of you who have reached out and 
> shared your concerns.
>
> The affected .ORG domain name was identified on the U.S. Treasury 
> Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially 
> Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list (SDN List). As a 
> U.S.-based organization, PIR is legally required to comply with U.S. 
> law and was legally mandated to suspend the domain, with failure to 
> comply potentially exposing PIR to significant civil and criminal 
> liability. The registrant of the domain has the right to challenge the 
> designation.
>
> While this sets out the legal context for PIR’s action, our focus is 
> on the broader principle at stake. We believe the Internet is for 
> everyone. We support the people who use it, build it, and depend on 
> it, including civil society organizations and communities around the 
> world that rely on access to Internet infrastructure to organize, 
> communicate, and participate in public life. Our concern is the wider 
> principle: protecting an open and globally connected Internet, 
> including the secure and private communications on which people and 
> communities depend.
>
> We put our commitment to these principles into practice across all of 
> our work. We defend strong encryption and secure, private 
> communications. We advocate for policies that protect the Internet’s 
> open architecture and resist fragmentation. We support communities 
> working to expand resilient connectivity. And through our grants and 
> philanthropic initiatives, we help strengthen the security of civil 
> society and public interest organizations.
>
> Above all, we work with our global community, benefiting from your 
> experience, expertise, and local leadership, to make the case for an 
> Internet that remains open and globally connected. Especially when 
> those principles are tested. This work began long before the present 
> situation, and it will continue.
>
> Best,
>
> Sebastian
>
> *Sebastián Bellagamba*, VP, External and Community Engagement
> bellagamba at isoc.org
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