satyrica

US seizes webservers from independent media sites

Rachel Shabi
Monday October 11, 2004
The Guardian

American authorities have shut down 20 independent media centres by seizing
their British-based webservers.
On Thursday a court order was issued to Rackspace, an American-owned web
hosting company in Uxbridge, Middlesex, forcing it to hand over two servers
used by Indymedia, an international media network which covers of social
justice issues and provides a "news-wire", to which its users contribute.

The websites affected by the seizure span 17 countries.

It is unclear why, or to where, the servers have been taken. The FBI,
speaking to the French AFP, acknowledged that a subpoena had been issued but
said this was at the request of Italian and Swiss authorities.

"It is not an FBI operation," said its spokesman, Joe Parris.

Rackspace told Indymedia that it had been served with a court order under
the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, under which countries assist each other
in investigations such as international terrorism, kidnapping and money
laundering

It is unclear why such a treaty would apply in this context. A UK Indymedia
journalist said: "The authorities may just be using this as a trawling
exercise. We don't know."

It is also unclear if the Home Office was involved.

The Metropolitan police said it was not aware of the move.

The UK Indymedia site is now working, because it was backed up on another
server, unlike others which are still shut down.

One of the servers was to be used to stream web radio coverage of the
European Social Forum conference in London next week.