A new report by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) shows surveillance technologies in the Western Balkans are increasingly used to suppress dissent and control public discourse. Tools like biometric surveillance, facial recognition, and censorship mechanisms are spreading—often without proper legal protections or oversight. Meanwhile, more journalists, activists, and human rights defenders face digital harassment, legal threats, and institutional censorship.
This report is part of the Surveillance and Censorship in the Western Balkans project, which focuses on protecting journalists, human rights advocates, and civil society groups from these growing digital threats. Covering key developments through late 2024 and early 2025, it sheds light on disturbing trends that have been building over the years.
Take Albania, for example. The country’s “Smart City” initiative is rolling out thousands of security cameras, including number plate recognition systems, in major cities. While it’s being promoted as a way to improve safety, it’s raising serious concerns about data protection and the risk of misuse.
Then there’s the controversial TikTok ban. In March 2025, Albania banned the platform for a year, citing violent content as the reason after a tragic incident.
The report also highlights that Montenegro’s Interior Ministry secretly acquired biometric facial recognition software, Better Tomorrow, for use in public spaces. Although approved for video surveillance, the use of this technology was not disclosed. The Agency for Personal Data Protection and Free Access to Information has ordered its deactivation, raising concerns about transparency and oversight.
Shifting to Kosovo, the situation is slightly different. There isn’t direct state censorship, but authorities influence media by limiting access to information and favoring certain outlets. Surveillance is poorly regulated, with limited transparency around private-sector roles or the use of biometric data. The law allows digital communication monitoring, including real-time interception and location tracking, raising privacy concerns.
Meanwhile, in Serbia, things take a darker turn. Spyware like Pegasus has been used to target journalists, activists, and civil society members, creating serious threats to privacy and press freedom. To make matters worse, facial recognition cameras have been introduced without any clear legal framework, and reports suggest they’ve been used against political opponents and journalists.
Zooming out to the broader region, the report points out that while laws across the Western Balkans mostly align with EU data protection standards, enforcement is where things fall apart. In Albania and Kosovo, the laws exist but aren’t enforced well, leading to government overreach. Bosnia and Herzegovina faces declining media freedom, while Montenegro’s outdated data protection laws make it difficult to keep surveillance in check. North Macedonia is grappling with delays in advancing digital rights, and in Serbia, political interference and proposed legal changes are putting even more pressure on independent media and press freedom.
As surveillance tools and censorship methods grow more advanced, the report calls for independent efforts to uncover and document these abuses. Protecting individual rights and creating spaces for free debate and accountability is more critical than ever. The findings serve as a wake-up call to address these challenges, protect civil liberties, and push for transparent governance in the Western Balkans.
