SEE Digital Rights Network – January 2025 Newsletter
2025-02-13
Dear Network members,
This month, too, all of us have been very active in the field of digital rights by organizing various events and creating interesting content.
The highlights:
Serbia: MUP and BIA illegally hacking phones of activists and journalists
The use of spyware represents a serious attack on human rights, freedom of expression and privacy of citizens. In Serbia its use is becoming a common practice. A new report by Amnesty International indicates widespread use of spyware against activists, journalists and members of civil society by the police and the Security Information Agency (BIA) in Serbia. The confirmed cases of Nikola Ristić from the group “SviĆe”, activist from the initiative “Marš sa Drine” Ivan Bjelić, journalist from Dimitrovgrad Slaviša Milanov, environmental activist Ivan Milosavljević Buki, and an activist from the organisation “Krokodil” were singled out.
Experts in digital forensics analysed the devices of Serbian citizens directly affected by the use of intrusive technologies and reliably determined that the police and BIA routinely used a new type of spyware that Amnesty International calls NoviSpy, along with the abuse of a highly sophisticated digital forensics tool from the Israeli company Cellebrite. The report states that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway donated this digital forensics tool to the Ministry of Interior of Serbia through the mediation of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
The recent suspension of U.S. foreign aid, as detailed in The Guardian’s article “The Long Wave: Why Trump’s USAid freeze endangers millions,” has significantly disrupted global humanitarian efforts. This abrupt halt has compromised life-saving initiatives, including those at U.S.-funded facilities providing critical care. The freeze has led to the suspension of over 30 clinical trials addressing diseases such as HIV, malaria, cholera, cervical cancer, and tuberculosis, leaving participants without necessary medical support. Additionally, the cessation of USAid projects has halted essential services like food aid, healthcare, and infrastructure development, particularly affecting vulnerable populations in conflict zones and areas recovering from disasters. The article underscores the far-reaching consequences of this policy change, emphasizing the immediate and long-term risks posed to millions who rely on U.S. assistance for survival.
Digital violence against women and girls in Serbia is on the rise, with frequent targets including female journalists, activists, politicians, and other public figures. Weak legal protections and a lack of systemic education on the impact of digital violence contribute to the challenges in creating a safer online space. Drawing from civil society analyses and initiatives, SHARE Foundation has prepared an overview of gender-based digital violence. The report outlines key types of online abuse—such as revenge pornography, which has especially shocked the public due to its spread on social networks and the young age of some perpetrators. The section on responses and challenges explores available legal mechanisms, recent advocacy efforts for legal reforms, and the push to criminalize the misuse of sexual images, including AI-generated content. The report concludes with targeted recommendations for legislative bodies, law enforcement, schools, and civil society organizations. The full document, “Gender-Based Digital Violence in Serbia: An Overview”, is available for download here.