BIRN Report Warns Digital Repression is Worsening Across Western Balkans, Turkey

A BIRN report warns that digital repression is worsening across the Western Balkans and Turkey, documenting systemic abuses in early 2026. Covering the first three months of 2026, the monitoring effort records 152 separate digital rights violations, citing patterns such as economic exploitation, disinformation, gender-based violence, and attacks on civic actors. It also reviews changes in digital governance, including legislative reforms, court rulings, and proposed regulation affecting expression, platform oversight, cybersecurity, and data protection. BIRN’s Digital Rights Programme Manager, Amina Mahovic, said the report aims to show the scale and impact of emerging threats and support accountability. The study finds economic fraud and harmful online behavior account for more than 60% of cases, with North Macedonia highest for documented fraud. It cites major breaches affecting about 600,000 Telekom Srbija users and around 300,000 Turkcell users. In Kosovo, a Discord community of about 70,000 members allegedly shared women’s personal information and intimate images without consent.