FBI Seizes European Counter Network Web Server from NYC Colocation Facility

On April 18th, U.S. Federal authorities removed a server from a colocation facility shared by Riseup Networks and May First/People Link (MFPL) in New York City. The seized server was operated by the European Counter Network (ECN), the oldest independent internet service provider in Europe, who, among many other things, provided an anonymous remailer service, Mixmaster, that was the target of an FBI investigation into a series of bomb threats against the University of Pittsburgh.

Tech staff have assured users that no riseup user or MFPL member data or security codes were compromised in the seizure. The server itself was fully encrypted.

Hundreds of ECN users, email lists and websites were disrupted in this seizure, including academics, artists, historians, feminist groups, gay rights groups, community centers, documentation and software archives and free speech groups. None are alleged to be involved in the anonymous bomb threats. ECN is the oldest independent service provider in Europe. Before sites like Youtube and Vimeo existed, ECN created a platform called NGV where people could upload and share independent video of human rights violations. Nowadays ECN works primarily with anti-fascist and anti-Nazi movements in all of Europe, providing space and resources to political and social centers.

“The server seizure is not only an attack against us, but an attack against all users of the Internet who depend on anonymous communication," said MFPL director Jamie McClelland. "The pointlessness of this seizure suggests an inclination toward extrajudicial punishment and an attempted crackdown on the very possibility of anonymous speech online." Dispatch from MFPL | Joint Press Release | Server Seizure FAQ | ecn.org

Related: FBI attempts, fails to gain access to May 1st/People's Link servers | Privacy Groups Seek to Stop Cyber Spying Legislation | Stand Strong for Online Privacy