Stories about Serbia
The future of mass surveillance in Serbia
Serbian government withdraws – for the second time – draft law governing the work of police with provisions enabling invasions of privacy, after civil society outcry and international pressure.
The Western Balkans will need unity and cooperation across society to overcome press freedom challenges
Independent media in the Western Balkans face disinformation campaigns, hate speech, physical attacks, threats, low income, poor economic status, divisions, self-censorship and job insecurity.
From Kosovo 1999 to Russia 2021: The ‘cheapfake’ photo trend fuelling dangerous propaganda
"It is important to raise awareness of the widespread use of cheapfake images and to acknowledge that some governments use the practice to influence people's opinions."
Serbian authorities accused of spying on visiting Russian citizens at behest of Kremlin
Russia and Serbia have formed a joint working group to combat protest movements against autocratic and populist governments by suppressing grassroots initiatives, independent media, the opposition and civil society organizations.
After Twitter labeled Serbian pro-government media: It is important to know who controls and exercises pressure on media
Top Serbian state officials accused Twitter of censorship after it posted labels on the profiles and tweet of media outlets that don't enjoy editorial independence from the government.
Documentary exposes the threat of facial recognition surveillance in Serbia
Online documentary warns the public about privacy risks emanating from a newly installed video surveillance system equipped with Chinese facial recognition technology.
Serbian government revokes controversial COVID-19-related decree used as pretext to arrests journalists
Public outcry after arrest of journalist embarrassed the Serbian government, which revoked its decree aimed at centralizing flow of information about COVID-19 epidemic.
COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects digital rights in the Balkans
Digital rights NGOs warn about increase of cases of violation of privacy of people under quarantine, spread of disinformation and internet scams in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Netizen Report: Pro-government doxxing campaigns rock Hong Kong, Serbia
Doxxing is all the rage in Hong Kong and Serbia, an Indian judge delivers a win for internet rights, and Facebook debuts plans for its oversight board.
Serbian journalists expose a ruling party bot application used to manipulate readers’ comments on media websites
Investigative journalists discovered that a mobile application linked to their country's ruling party IP address was used for automatic voting on user comments on websites of popular media outlets.
Serbian member of pro-Kremlin biker club under investigation for assaulting a female journalist
Journalist Verica Marinčić was stalked and attacked by a member of the 'Night Wolves' biker group, after posting a photo of his car, parked illegally.
Serbian journalists expose anonymous doxing site's ties to pro-government media coterie
Istraga became notorious for its smear attacks against voices critical of the Vučić regime, including journalists and non-governmental organisations.
Contrary to Serbian government's claims, fact-checking initiative shows that journalists are far from being ‘all safe’
According to Istinomer's research, threats against individual journalists or editorial teams have become rather frequent over the past few months.
Anti-violence protests continue in Belgrade, after journalist survives assassination attempt
Protests are estimated to have doubled in size after Serbian president vows "never" to meet demonstrators' demands.
Serbian internet users ridicule disinformation broadcast by pro-government media
Local media misinformed the public about the scale and scope of the protest, sparking a cascade of online criticism.
Macedonia's former ruling party organized a trolling apparatus for spreading hate speech, threats
A former Macedonian government official revealed that the former ruling party created and is still actively running online "troll farms".
Serbian Journalists Face Harassment for Investigating Spending by Defense Minister (And His ‘Aunt from Canada’)
In spite of threats, investigative journalists keep demanding accountability from Serbian Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin.
Serbian Journalists Call on Citizens to Support a Media Freedom Campaign
Journalists and activists lead by the group ‘For Media Freedom’ took to the streets of five Serbian cities to pledge support from citizens for demands presented to the government.
Serbian Groups Stage Blackout to Protest Media Intimidation By Tax Authority
The shuttering of a Serbian newspaper led to physical protest and an online blackout with 150 participating websites.
‘Most Efficient Trial in History’ Fines Serbian Magazine for Defamation of Interior Minister
"How can a journalist be 'unauthorised' to do their job: gathering information and suggesting conclusions based on the gathered evidence?"