Albanian civil society faces a digital campaign of defamation and intimidation, undermining democracy amid EU accession talks.
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A coordinated wave of defamation, disinformation, and personal intimidation is targeting Albanian civil society following the “Phoenix Revolution.” This digital battle involves circulating unsubstantiated accusations against activists and journalists regarding misuse of funds or corruption. Furthermore, there is a concerning practice of doxxing, where private information like photos, names, and addresses are published online to intimidate citizens and discourage civic participation. The situation is worsened by high-ranking public officials using social media to attack individual protestors, exploiting power imbalances. Experts note that these attacks stem from an opaque online ecosystem involving various platforms with questionable transparency regarding funding or ownership. The protests themselves, initially focused on environmental protection, have broadened to encompass demands for the rule of law and democratic accountability, issues central to Albania’s EU accession process, necessitating intervention from Albanian and European guarantee institutions.
