Amsterdam police copies server data for US case
The server of Italian hosting provider Autistici/Inventati was seized following an American mutual legal assistance request.
Follow-up to: Amsterdam police seize server for US investigation Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 18:58
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Amsterdam police seized a server belonging to Italian hosting provider Autistici/Inventati at a data centre in Amsterdam-Oost. Police are making a digital copy of the data and intend to provide it to the US authorities.
The server was seized on Tuesday following an American mutual legal assistance request. According to police, this is a customary form of international criminal cooperation, in which Dutch investigative services secure data for an investigation in another country.
The server was located at Amsterdam’s Science Park and belonged to Autistici/Inventati, or A/I for short. For years, this Italian hosting provider offered free websites and email to civil-society organisations and activist groups. The organisation dissolved earlier this year after US sanctions affected its financial and digital infrastructure.
The US government has linked A/I to antifascist organisations and designated it a terrorist organisation. That is an American classification; the Netherlands has not designated A/I as a terrorist organisation. Nor has it been made public which specific data the US authorities wish to receive.
Amsterdam police say they are making a digital copy of the server. Once the relevant data have been transferred, the physical server is expected to return to the data centre. It is therefore not yet clear which users or organisations could be affected by the transfer of the data.
The case touches on a difficult distinction. A hosting provider can supply technical services to a wide range of users without itself being responsible for every publication or activity on a platform. At the same time, servers can contain evidence in investigations into criminal offences. The question is therefore not only whether international legal assistance is possible, but also how precisely it is determined which data may be shared.
Police have given no details about the underlying US case. As a result, it remains unclear which suspicion is central, what judicial review has taken place and whether Dutch users appear in the data. The transfer is therefore a fact, but the legal and practical consequences for the organisations involved cannot yet be established.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Dutch police seized an A/I server in Amsterdam.
- The action followed an American mutual legal assistance request.
- Police intend to give a copy of the data to the US authorities.
Left
Arguments The Netherlands should exercise restraint when sharing data if the American classification is politically contentious. Users of a hosting service should not be treated collectively as if they were under suspicion.
Values Privacy, legal protection and protection of civil-society organisations.
Consequences A strict individual assessment may slow international cooperation, but prevents Dutch infrastructure from being used for broad data transfers.
Centre
Arguments Legal assistance between allies is necessary, but must be transparent, targeted and subject to oversight. The relevant question is which data are necessary and what safeguards Dutch users have.
Values The rule of law, proportionality and reliable international cooperation.
Consequences A limited transfer subject to judicial review can protect both law enforcement and privacy, but requires clear procedures that are currently partly unknown.
Right
Arguments The Netherlands should not automatically become a safe haven for digital infrastructure that facilitates criminal activities abroad. If US authorities request concrete information, the Netherlands should respond seriously.
Values National security, enforcement and loyalty to allies.
Consequences Swift cooperation can make investigations more effective, but may damage confidence in Dutch hosting services if the criteria are not clear.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The seizure, location and intended digital copy have been reported by several public sources. The text avoids conclusions about guilt, motive and the contents of the US case.
- confirmed Amsterdam police seized a server following an American mutual legal assistance request. — This is reported by NL Times and Tweakers. source
- confirmed The server was located at Amsterdam’s Science Park. — Tweakers states that the data were stored there. source
- confirmed Police are making a digital image of the data. — NL Times describes this procedure. source
- uncertain The Netherlands has not designated A/I as a terrorist organisation. — The sources consulted describe the American designation and not a Dutch designation; the absence has not been independently verified in full. source
Editor's note
The seizure and the American mutual legal assistance request have been confirmed. The precise suspicion, dataset and judicial review are not public.Sources
The story so far
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 18:58 Amsterdam police seize server for US investigation
- Thursday, 15 October 2026, 19:39 Amsterdam police copies server data for US case (this article)