BIRD – Balkan Insight

Alexander the Bot: The Twitter War for the Macedonian Soul

Kostas Zafeiropoulos — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 07:27:54 +0000

From ‘ghost users’ to ‘cyborg bots’, a BIRN investigation shows how nationalists in North Macedonia, Greece and beyond are unleashing automated armies on social media to rally the masses.

On China’s Digital Silk Road, Serbia Has Special Place

Vuk Vuksanovic — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 07:25:45 +0000

If Huawei and other Chinese tech firms have big plans for Serbia, it’s clearly not because of the size of the local market but because of its unique location, and role as a ‘test’ for the rest of the region.

Huawei Hoopla: ‘Business as Usual’ After Czech 5G Warning

Filip Brokes — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 06:57:44 +0000

When the Czech cyber security agency issued an unprecedented warning against China’s telecoms giant, politicians clashed over national security. But was it anything more than political theatre?

Activists, Artists Declare ‘Guerrilla War’ On Facial Recognition

Marcel Gascón Barberá — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 06:40:47 +0000

From Hong Kong protesters armed with saws to infrared-blocking eyeglasses, resistance to facial recognition technology is increasingly innovative.

Croatian Journalist Fined for ‘Anti-Police’ Twitter Message

Anja Vladisavljevic — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:39:02 +0000

Croatian journalist Gordan Duhacek was fined around 100 euros for an ‘anti-police’ message on Twitter and is awaiting another verdict for ‘offending citizens’ moral feelings’ by posting a satirical rewrite of a patriotic song.

Anonymous Hackers Leak Millions of Bulgarian Taxpayers’ Data

Martin Dimitrov — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 07:50:31 +0000

Thousands of files allegedly belonging to the Bulgarian Revenue Agency, containing data on millions of citizens, were disseminated on Monday in what appears the biggest hacking attack in Bulgarian e-history.

Cyber Attackers Strike Fear Into Romanian Hospitals

Marcel Gascón Barberá — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 06:28:57 +0000

Authorities call for heightened vigilance following a wave of cyber attacks on medical institutions, seeking ransom money and possibly originating from China.

Facebook, Google Urged to Appoint Agents in Serbia

Maja Zivanovic — Tue, 21 May 2019 10:50:14 +0000

SHARE Foundation, a Serbia-based digital rights NGO, appealed to 20 companies including Facebook, Twitter and Google to appoint representatives in Serbia to address personal data issues raised by users in the country.

US ‘Cyber Warriors’ Help Balkan Allies Resist Hackers

Maja Zivanovic — Mon, 20 May 2019 04:02:55 +0000

US Cyber Command is sending 'cyber warriors’ to work closely with Balkan allies like Montenegro and North Macedonia to help them build up their defences against hackers often based in Russia.

FB Page Attacking Serbian Media ‘Linked’ to Breitbart

Filip Rudic — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:16:23 +0000

A popular Serbian Facebook page that targets ‘Serb-hating’ journalists and opposition politicians appears linked to a Serbian franchise of the far-right Breitbart website.

Facebook Clampdown Hits Kosovo, North Macedonia Spammers

Sinisa Jakov Marusic — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 06:00:04 +0000

The media giant's post-Christchurch purge of users posting unacceptable content has resulted in the closure of hundreds of pages in Kosovo and North Macedonia – which became notorious as spamming hubs.

Serbia’s Anti-Govt Protests Leave Tweeters Bitterly Divided

Ivana Jeremic — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 14:42:06 +0000

An analysis of tweets about the recent anti-government protests in Serbia show that the tweeting community is just as divided as the rest of society.

Facebook Shuts Moldova Officials’ ‘Fake News’ Accounts

Madalin Necsutu — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 15:38:39 +0000

With the help of a local app, the social media giant has closed a number of page and accounts – some linked to government officials – accused of spreading fake news, disinformation and impersonation.

Facebook Launches Content Review Centre in Bulgaria

Martin Dimitrov — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 07:50:55 +0000

The social media giant will employ 150 people in Sofia who will check for potentially violating material in Russian, Turkish, Georgian and Kazakh languages.

Data Concerns in Serbia over Russian Taxi App

Maja Zivanovic — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 10:32:34 +0000

Lithuania last year sounded the alarm over where a popular Russian taxi app is sending user data, but Serbia was unperturbed. Now the office of Serbia’s personal data commissioner says it will investigate.

Facebook Pulls Pages Linked to Rightists Active in Balkans

Ivana Jeremic — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 06:41:57 +0000

The social media giant has removed a network of pages, with millions of followers, tied to the Knights Templar International, a ‘Christian militant’ organisation active in the Balkans.

Bosnia’s Politicians Decide Tweets Won’t Win Elections

Ivana Jeremic — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 08:00:31 +0000

Few of the top politicians campaigning in Bosnia's general election campaign have made much attempt to mobilise supporters on either Facebook and Twitter.

British Nationalist Trains Serb Far-Right for ‘Online War’

Jelena Cosic — Tue, 01 May 2018 11:45:41 +0000

A British anti-immigration hardliner, dubbed an “extremists’ marketing mastermind” by The Times of London, is training Serbian far-right activists on how to win the information war.

Romania Remains Hub for Cyber-Crime Gangs

Ivana Jeremic — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 07:40:12 +0000

Romania remains a centre for cybercrime in Eastern Europe, despite the best efforts of the police to crack these networks.

Facebook Data Row Makes Waves in Romania

Ivana Jeremic — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 07:39:24 +0000

A British consultant allegedly scouted by data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica has claimed that the company had plans to secretly work for Romania’s ruling party in the 2016 elections.

Russia’s Fancy Bear Hacks its Way Into Montenegro

Ivana Jeremic — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 06:57:56 +0000

A notorious Russian cyber-espionage group is believed to have been behind a number of attacks targeting Montenegrin institutions in the last year.

Moldovan Politicians Accused of Buying Facebook ‘Likes’

Ivana Jeremic — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 13:34:56 +0000

Moldovan politicians are a popular bunch, according to the number of Facebook 'likes' they have on their pages - but a media probe suggests all is not as it seems.

Facebook Reveals Serbian Fighters’ Role in Ukraine War

Marija Ristic — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 08:19:04 +0000

Social media posts from the Ukrainian battlefields have been invaluable in enabling prosecutors in Serbia and Montenegro to prove the illegal military action of their nationals in Ukraine.

Romanian Protesters Vow to Overcome Net Saboteurs

Ana Maria Luca — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 07:48:42 +0000

Activists opposed to the government’s planned justice laws have vowed to continue protesting – despite what they believe was an organized campaign to block their Facebook accounts.

Kosovars Warned About Using First Bitcoin ATM

Ivana Jeremic — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 08:51:54 +0000

Kosovo is about to get the first virtual currency ATM in the Balkans - but the central bank has warned potential users that they cannot expect much protection from the law.

Frustrated Croat Journalist Tackles Click-Bait Scourge

Ivana Jeremic — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 07:12:56 +0000

Annoyed by the plague of misleading headlines designed to lure net surfers into clicking onto articles, a group in Croatia has started a Facebook page that explains the real nature of some of the articles concerned.