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.
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.
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The US had designated Austici/Inventati as a terrorist organization and OFAC sanctions before seizing the servers. A terrorism designation is basically meant to strip an individual or organization of their rights. The US government will try to seize the assets of anyone who financially aids an entity on the OFAC list. The Dutch complied with the seizure order because of the terrorism designation. This is also a violation of the law known as ‘Section 230’, which says that internet services are not legally liable for communications made by their users. The US government could designate Hexbear as a terrorism organization and place OFAC sanctions on Hexbear, but that would be extra steps.