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

[Vittorio Bertola]

Hello Sebastian,

the Italian chapter is deeply troubled by what happened and it is 
working on a statement on this situation. Please stay tuned. In any 
case, we understand that PIR had no other choice than comply but still 
we think that this case has substantially weakened the credibility of 
.org as a global online home for non-profit organizations.

Also, it is somewhat incorrect to say that "the registrant of the domain 
has the right to challenge the designation" as no judicial review was 
ever made on it. It is an administrative act of the U.S. Government, 
without any justification needed, and can be challenged... by writing 
back to the same government office that already decided this listing. 
Now, in theory, a group of volunteers from Pisa could hire an American 
lawyer and try to challenge the U.S. Government in DC courts, spending 
several hundred thousand dollars that they don't have and which slim 
chances of winning. But this is not a realistic proposal, unless it is 
the entire Internet ecosystem that supports it and pushes back, 
something which I do not see likely.

Ciao,

Il 2026-09-03 22:18 Sebastian Bellagamba via Chapter-delegates ha 
scritto:

> 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
> 
> internetsociety.org [1] | @internetsociety
> 
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-- 
vb.                   Vittorio Bertola - vb [a] bertola.eu   <--------
-------->       now blogging & more at https://bertola.eu/   <--------

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