The Western Balkans region faces a surge in surveillance and censorship practices that have profound implications for freedom of speech, human rights, and democracy. The SEE Digital Rights Network, which comprises more than thirty regional organizations has recognized the urgent need to address these issues.

ABOUT THE PROJECT
This project, implemented in collaboration with the SEE Digital Rights Network,  aims to tackle surveillance and censorship by fortifying the resilience of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society organizations (CSOs) against digital surveillance and censorship across the Western Balkans Six (WB6) countries. This involves exposing the abuse of digital technologies by both state and non-state actors, raising public consciousness on government surveillance and censorship, empowering key stakeholders, and promoting policy reform. The main activities include mapping stakeholders involved in surveillance and censorship, promoting institutional transparency, and engaging citizens and activists in addressing these issues. 

LOCAL IMPACT
Anticipated outcomes encompass heightened awareness among the target audience, bolstered capabilities of journalists and CSOs, promotion of policy change recommendations, and secure whistleblowing via the reporting tool and the specialized webpage. Additionally, the project acknowledges the potential significance of investigating commercial entities leveraging the region for sales and exports, akin to Cytrox. 

REGIONAL IMPACT
Although the primary focus remains the WB6 (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), BIRN’s editorial presence in Bulgaria and other countries in the region could potentially be utilized for investigations and other activities.