Western Balkan Governments Expand Surveillance, Raise Privacy Fears

• Apr 30, 2025

Governments in the Western Balkans are increasing their use of surveillance tools and digital controls, raising serious concerns over privacy, press freedom, and political targeting. A report released by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) on April 29 reveals growing trends of censorship, surveillance, and legal pressure across Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Serbia.

According to BIRN, facial recognition and biometric surveillance technologies are rapidly spreading in the region, especially in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia. These developments are alarming privacy advocates and digital rights defenders due to their potential misuse against journalists, human rights activists, and political opponents.

In Albania, the government has launched the Smart City project, which plans to install 4,500 security cameras, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems. While the project is intended to improve public safety, BIRN warns it could be exploited for unauthorized surveillance and profiling, particularly in the absence of clear rules about consent and data usage.

Kosovo does not engage in direct censorship but uses indirect methods to influence media coverage. These include limiting access to official information and giving preferential treatment to certain outlets. BIRN also notes that surveillance practices in Kosovo are opaque. While surveillance of digital communications is legally permitted under the oversight of the Chief State Prosecutor and the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI), concerns remain over the lack of transparency in how biometric and location data are collected and used.

Montenegro’s Interior Ministry reportedly acquired facial recognition software called “Better Tomorrow” without informing the public. Though the country’s data protection agency later ordered its deactivation, the incident highlighted the lack of transparency surrounding surveillance tools.

In Serbia, surveillance technologies are already in wide use despite there being no specific legal framework regulating biometric facial recognition. Cameras equipped with facial recognition capabilities have been installed across public spaces, prompting strong pushback from civil society organizations. According to the report, Serbia’s surveillance network is extensive and includes tools for tracking phones, monitoring social media, and collecting mass data. These tools have allegedly been used to target journalists, activists, and political opponents.

BIRN also highlighted a case from October 2024, when two civil society members in Serbia received alerts from Apple about potential spyware attacks on their phones. Amnesty International linked these attacks to Pegasus spyware, which is only sold to governments. The report suggests the Serbian government or its affiliates may have been involved, and similar incidents have occurred in 2025. The report concludes that across the region, increasing state surveillance and weakening legal protections are creating an environment of fear, censorship, and shrinking democratic space.