Amsterdam server seized at request of U.S. authorities after antifa allegations

Police in Amsterdam seized a server from a data center in the city’s eastern district on Tuesday, following a request from U.S. authorities. The police confirmed the seizure after it was reported by the NRC.

The seized server belongs to Italian internet provider Autistici/Inventati (A/I). Dutch police are creating a digital image of its data to hand over to U.S. authorities, as required under the American request for legal assistance.

For years, A/I offered free website hosting and email services to thousands of organizations. It attracted the attention of the Trump administration, which regards antifa as a terrorist organization. In late August, U.S. authorities also labeled A/I a terrorist organization, alleging that it had supported antifa. NRC described the move as exceptional, noting that internet service providers are not usually held liable for what their users do.

U.S. sanctions left A/I unable to access its bank account and cost it its domain name. The organization's volunteers then decided to disband it to protect users and donors from potential repercussions linked to their association with A/I. According to NRC, the seizure of a server in Amsterdam suggests those concerns may have been justified.

Police have not disclosed which specific data will be transferred to U.S. authorities. The server will be returned to the data center once the process is complete.