Download the publication
About the publication
Author: Anđela Savić
Publishing year: 2026
Civil society organisations, journalists, and human rights defenders across the Western Balkans and European Union (EU) are operating in a digital environment defined by raising threats and inadequate protection. This analysis presents findings from a needs assessment survey conducted within the “Defending Digital Freedoms: Strengthening Civil Society Resilience against Digital Repression in Europe” project, gathering 239 responses from 11 countries (six Western Balkan and five EU member states).
The findings reveal a threat landscape shaped by surveillance, phishing, platform-based harassment, and account compromise, with confirmed and suspected spyware deployments in Serbia, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Greece, and Spain. Digital repression intensifies predictably during elections, protests, and publishing of investigative stories, yet most organisations lack the capacity to respond effectively. While foundational security measures are increasingly common, advanced practices and organisational protocols remain rare. Access to digital forensic support is limited and largely unknown to those who need it most.