Surveillance and Censorship Worsening in Western Balkans: BIRN Report

[milos_rs]

news article: New report shows governments in the region increasingly use technology to suppress dissent, filter content, restrict access to digital platforms and carry out mass and targeted surveillance.

Governments in the region increasingly use spyware, digital censorship and legal harassment to target journalists, activists, and minority voices, suppressing free expression and democratic engagement. Efforts to control digital narratives, like Albania’s TikTok ban and Serbia’s pervasive surveillance, further threaten civil liberties and press freedom.

The report primarily focuses on developments up to and including 2024, but it also incorporates recent cases from early 2025 that represent a continuation of alarming trends identified last year, reflecting the evolving nature of digital surveillance and censorship across the region.

full report: https://balkaninsight.com/plus_pdf/Surve...ns-WB6.pdf