Commissioner Virkkunen acknowledges crucial role of journalism in Europe’s…

Commissioner Virkkunen acknowledges crucial role of journalism in Europe’s Defense and Preparedness agenda

Partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) met with European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, on 27 April 2025, to address increasing challenges concerning the economic viability, online safety of journalists, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the media landscape.

29 April 2025

Stressing the link between security and media freedom, Vice-President Virkkunen acknowledged the critical role of journalism as part of the essential infrastructure for security and preparedness.

Highlighting main points for media safety, the MFRR partners emphasised the need for ensuring sustainability for media and addressing financing gaps caused both by decrease in government funding and platform capture of advertising revenue. Drawing on the Joint MFRR EU Democracy Shield submission, MFRR partners proposed concrete, innovative solutions on how to address this, opening discussion on the needs to develop sustainable revenues for journalists.

The MFRR stressed the urgent need for Generative AI regulation due to its extensive and often unauthorised use of editorial content. The MFRR shared the significant concern that AI-generated content could displace editorial work, leading to revenue loss and decreased interest in journalism, and emphasised that AI regulation must include transparency, enforcement, fair remuneration, and meaningful consultation as part of the 3rd Code of Practice. Commissioner Virkkunen insisted on the need for balance between AI innovation and copyright regulation while affirming the importance of fair compensation. She expressed interest in receiving examples of effective strategies for supporting media viability including tax incentives to increase investment in media.

The MFRR also highlighted the crucial role of public service media and the absolute need for strong enforcement of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), with Commissioner Virkkunen agreeing that significant cuts to media, such as public broadcaster YLE in Finland, and the increasing prevalence of news deserts are concerning developments.

Further points of discussion included the necessity of supporting the sustainability of independent media and civil society, enhancing digital security within the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA), emphasising the threat of spyware and increase of online attacks against journalists.

The MFRR delegation was comprised of representatives from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU).

This meeting was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Constitutional Court of Albania Strengthens Freedom of Expression in…

Constitutional Court of Albania Strengthens Freedom of Expression in Elton Qyno Case

Joint Statement by the SafeJournalists Network, partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), welcoming the decision of the Constitutional Court of Albania, which overturned the lower-court orders allowing the search and seizure of journalist Elton Qyno’s equipment, reinforcing the importance of protecting journalistic sources and freedom of expression in line with international standards.

29 April 2025

On 22 April 2025, the Constitutional Court of Albania delivered a unanimous 8–0 judgement setting aside lower-court orders authorising the search of journalist Elton Qyno and the seizure of his electronic equipment and directed that all data extracted from those devices be destroyed. The Court held that these measures amounted to a disproportionate interference with freedom of expression and the protection of journalistic sources, rights enshrined in Article 22 of the Albanian Constitution and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

We, the undersigned organisations, welcome this ruling. In an open letter of January 2024, we jointly cautioned that compelling Mr Qyno to reveal his source and confiscating his work materials risked undermining internationally recognised standards and chilling investigative reporting in Albania. The Constitutional Court has now confirmed that journalists may not be required to disclose their sources unless an overriding public interest is demonstrably at stake and no less intrusive avenue is available. The Court’s decision underscores the need for internal safeguards whenever investigations intersect with freedom of expression and media freedom.

We therefore encourage the competent authorities to give immediate effect to the Constitutional Court’s judgement by returning devices to Mr Qyno and formally confirming the deletion of all copies of seized data.

Looking ahead, while our organisations support the fight against corruption in Albania and the role the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office plays here, we invite the SPAK, the judiciary, and competent law enforcement authorities to handle cases involving journalists, public watchdogs and media in line with standards established by the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence which emphasises the protection of journalistic sources, freedom of expression, and the necessity of proportionality in any cases related to journalists and public watchdogs.

Our organisations will continue to monitor the implementation of the Court’s ruling and to support Albanian journalists in defending their rights.

Signed by:

SafeJournalists Network

Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Media Freedom Rapid Response partners

Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
International Press Institute (IPI)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
ARTICLE 19 Europe

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

This statement was coordinated by the SafeJournalists Network, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Media Freedom Rapid Response Input regarding the EU Democracy…

Media Freedom Rapid Response Input regarding the EU Democracy Shield

29.04.2025

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to establish a robust response to threats against democracy through the EU Democracy Shield. The MFRR, led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and supported by ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI), and the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), has developed its official input for the EU Democracy Shield. This input emphasises the need for a rights-based approach, promoting media resilience and the safety of journalists as core requirements for preserving democracy in Europe. It focuses on critical areas such as the economic viability of independent media, the safety of journalists, legal protections, and the challenges posed by AI.

The MFRR highlights several pressing concerns, including the dominance of platforms that leads to losses in advertising revenue, reduced funding for media and media organizations, the growing threat of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), surging online attacks on media freedom, and the use of spyware against journalists, media workers, and outlets. The input calls for structural reforms to support public interest journalism, ensure fair negotiation conditions with Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), establish mechanisms to protect against surveillance targeting the media, and strengthen measures against foreign agent-style legislation that poses a significant threat. Furthermore, the input advocates for transparency and a rights-focused approach in AI governance to prevent further erosion of viability and trust in the media.

It is essential to emphasise the need for the EU Democracy Shield to serve as a practical mechanism providing robust support for press and media freedom in order to uphold democratic values. The MFRR partners urge the European Commission and Member States to incorporate these recommendations and act swiftly to safeguard the fundamental role of independent media in democratic societies.

Download the MFRR Input on the EU Democracy Shield

This input was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Turkey: Swedish journalist Joakim Medin to face terrorism and…

Turkey: Swedish journalist Joakim Medin to face terrorism and insult charges as pre-trial detention continues

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners strongly condemned the decision to charge Joakim Medin with terrorism related actions in addition to the insult charges that were used to justify his initial arrest.

29.04.2025

Medin, whose first court hearing has been scheduled for April 30, now faces up to twelve years imprisonment if convicted of both indictments.

Since 19 March, over 13 journalists have been arrested and charged with different offences, with at least 12 journalists subjected to police violence. The situation has taken an unprecedented turn with Medin’s detention—marking a rare case where a foreign journalist has faced such charges. His treatment, mirroring that of Turkish journalists, signals a dangerous escalation in the government’s crackdown and serves as a clear warning to international media covering the country’s political unrest.

Medin, a regular contributor to the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens ETC and member of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF), was initially detained at Istanbul Airport on 27 March 2025, while travelling to cover protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. He was subsequently transferred to Silivri Prison.

The reason for his initial detention stemmed from a 2023 investigation by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding Medin’s alleged participation in a Stockholm protest where a puppet of President Erdoğan was hung by its feet. The allegations of Medin’s involvement were promptly denied by the protest organisers.

This incident is the basis for the charges of insulting the President that will be considered at his first hearing on 30 April at the 79th Criminal Court of First Instance in Ankara. The terrorism-related charges have been submitted to the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court, with the trial date still pending.

While the authorities stated that the detention is unrelated to his journalistic activities, the evidence cited against Medin consists primarily of his journalistic work, including social media posts, published articles, and books. His legal representative, MLSA co-director Veysel Ok, has emphasised that there is no concrete evidence beyond legitimate journalistic activities.

This case represents a further deterioration of press freedom in Turkey, where the authorities have intensified their crackdown on journalists. The broadcast regulator RTÜK has also imposed severe restrictions on media outlets, including broadcasting bans and threats to withdraw licenses.

The MFRR partners call for the immediate release of Joakim Medin and the dropping of charges against all of the journalists. We urge Turkish authorities to cease the criminalisation of journalism under anti-terrorism laws and demand an end to the ongoing crackdown on press freedom and the harassment of journalists. Furthermore, we call on the international community to pressure Turkish authorities to end their systematic suppression of press freedom.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Greece: Investigative media win latest victory in spyware SLAPP…

Greece: Investigative media win latest victory in spyware SLAPP ruling

IPI stands behind Reporters United and Efimerida ton Syntakton. The International Press Institute (IPI) today joins partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFFR) in welcoming the recent ruling by a court in Athens which overwhelmingly dismissed the vexatious lawsuits against journalists from two Greek media outlets over their investigative reporting on the connections of the nephew of the country’s Prime Minister to a spyware scandal.

22.04.2025

On 8 April, the Multi Member Court of First Instance of Athens ruled in favour of journalists Nikolas Leontopoulos, Thodoris Chondrogiannos and Christoforos Kasdaglis from investigative media outlet Reporters United and reporter Dimitris Terzis of newspaper Efimerida ton Syntakton (EfSyn), concluding that their reporting on Grigoris Dimitriadis and his connection to a spyware scandal had been accurate.

The reporting revealed how Dimitriadis’ phone number had been used to target 11 individuals with spyware hacks. At the time, Dimitriadis was serving as the Secretary General of the PM’s Office and was responsible for overseeing the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP). The spyware targets had included the head of the Greek Police and the prosecutor of the EYP. The reporting did not suggest Dimitriadis was responsible for the hacking, only that his phone number had been used.

Dimitriadis had demanded exorbitant fees of €950,0000 in compensation. In its ruling, the court dismissed the allegations and ordered him to pay legal costs of €4,750. It did not identify a single defamatory or objectionable element in the articles. The court did rule that a single headline by EfSyn in its newspaper article constituted simple defamation and ordered the media outlet to pay €3,000 in damages and €450 for legal costs. After the verdict, Dimitriadis claimed he had been “vindicated” and claimed the media outlets had spread “fake news”. EfSyn said it plans to appeal that verdict.

The MFRR welcomes the ruling, which found the reporting itself to have been 100% accurate. However, we note with concern the singular ruling against EfSyn and hope this will be swiftly overturned on appeal. These lawsuits were widely considered to be SLAPPs, a form of abusive litigation aimed at suppressing legitimate public interest reporting. In October 2021, Dimitriadis was awarded the satirical ‘SLAPP Politician of the Year Award’ 2022 by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE). In its latest verdict, the court did not rule on whether the lawsuits were SLAPPs, which are not recognised under Greek law.

Our organisations, which provided financial support to Reporters United for legal fees through our MFRR Legal Support Fund, will continue to defend independent investigative journalism in Greece. As noted in our 2023 report following a mission to Athens, SLAPPs and abusive lawsuits pose an increasing threat to media freedom in Greece.

This case underscores the need for the swift implementation by Greek authorities of the EU’s April 2024 Anti-SLAPP Directive, and to ensure Its provisions to protect journalists against vexatious lawsuits also apply to domestic cases. We note that the European Commission’s 2022 Recommendation on SLAPPs also calls on Member States to combine the directive with reforms to civil and criminal law to protect against abusive proceedings against journalists – another reform greatly needed in Greece.

We note with concern that Dimitriadis has appealed a previous verdict from October 2024 which dismissed separate lawsuits against Reporters United, EfSyn and reporters Nikolas Leontopoulos, Thodoris Chondrogiannos and Thanasis Koukakis. The appeal will now be heard in October 2025. As the legal cases continue, our organisations will continue to closely monitor the situation and advocate for stronger laws to protect media and journalists in Greece from SLAPPs.

The reporting by Reporters United and EfSyn was part of the Predator Files investigation, published as a collaboration by international media including Der Spiegel, Mediapart, Le Soir, Domani and InfoLibre. The reporting can be accessed here.

If you are a media outlet in an EU Member State or Candidate Country which is facing a SLAPP, you can apply for MFRR legal aid here.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)

This statement was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Fact Sheet: More than 5,000 press freedom violations in…

Fact Sheet: More than 5,000 press freedom violations in Europe since 2020

16.04.2025

Since the beginning of the MFRR project in 2020, the Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF) database has documented a steady rise of press freedom violations in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. In five years of monitoring, the project has documented over 5,000 attacks that have affected over 8,500 media-related persons and entities.

This fact-sheet summarises the most important data drawn from the past five years of monitoring the press freedom situation in Europe, including trends and emerging issues. Digital attacks have become especially prominent over the past couple of years, including novel types of threats such as spoofing, deep fakes, hacking or DDoS attacks. Verbal harassment – especially online – remains the most common type of attack followed by legal and physical attacks. Private individuals are by far the most common perpetrators behind press freedom attacks, followed by the police and government officials. Following the digital space, demonstrations are the second most common scene of press freedom violations – and the most dangerous workplace for journalists in Europe.

Looking ahead, there has been a concerning increase of attacks in the context of elections and reporting on environmental issues. The MapMF has also started to track Foreign Agent Laws as an emerging trend that is foreshadowing an increasingly hostile environment for press freedom in the future.

Download the Fact Sheet

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Turkey: Detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin must be released…

Turkey: Detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin must be released immediately

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners strongly condemn the arrest of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin on terrorism charges in Turkey and call for his immediate release. This is the latest incident amidst the ongoing crackdown on press freedom in which dozens of journalists have been arrested and beaten.

03.04.2025

Türkçe açıklama aşağıdadır.

On 27 March 2025, Joakim Medin, a regular contributor to the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens ETC and member of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF), was travelling to cover the widespread protests against the recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu. Medin was detained by police shortly after landing in Istanbul.

On 30 March, the Turkish authorities confirmed in a statement that he had been charged with being a “member of an armed terrorist organisation” and “insulting the President”, stating that “the detention order is unrelated to his journalistic activities”.

The charges stem from an investigation launched in 2023 by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau related to what they claimed was Medin’s participation in a protest in Stockholm, in which a puppet of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was hung by its feet. His participation was promptly denied by the organisers of the protest.

According to the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF), Medin has been transferred to Marmara Prison in Silivri, a high-security prison where political prisoners are being detained.

The arrest is the latest case in a rapidly worsening crackdown on press freedom in the wake of nationwide protests. Since the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on 19 March, the MFRR has documented over 13 journalists arrested, of whom at least seven have been charged with violating the law on meetings and demonstrations. At least 12 journalists have been victims of police violence. Moreover, the broadcast regulator has issued numerous fines against broadcasters, including one temporary broadcasting ban and threatened to withdraw licences from media that do not rely solely on official sources.

The MFRR strongly condemns the unjustified arrest of Medin, calls for his immediate release, and for the charges against him and all other journalists to be dropped. We further call on the Turkish authorities to allow all foreign journalists, including foreign correspondents, to work freely and document ongoing events in Turkey in the name of the right to freedom of information.

The MFRR will continue to monitor Medin’s situation closely and continue to advocate for all journalists detained as a result of the crackdown on the press.

Signed by:

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
International Press Institute (IPI)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

Türkiye: Tutuklanan İsveçli Gazeteci Joakim Medin Derhal Serbest Bırakılmalıdır

Medya Özgürlüğü Acil Müdahale (MFRR) ortakları, İsveçli gazeteci Joakim Medin’in Türkiye’de terör suçlamalarıyla tutuklanmasını en güçlü şekilde kınamakta ve derhal serbest bırakılmasını talep etmektedir. Bu olay, onlarca gazetecinin tutuklandığı ve darp edildiği medya özgürlüğüne yönelik devam eden baskının son örneğidir.

27 Mart 2025 tarihinde, İsveç’te faaliyet gösteren günlük gazete Dagens ETC’nin düzenli yazarlarından ve İsveç Gazeteciler Sendikası (SJF) üyesi olan Joakim Medin, İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı ve cumhurbaşkanı adayı Ekrem İmamoğlu’nun yakın zamanda tutuklanmasına karşı düzenlenen kitlesel eylemleri takip etmek için seyahat ediyordu. Medin, İstanbul’a iniş yaptıktan kısa bir süre sonra polis tarafından gözaltına alındı.

30 Mart’ta, yetkililer bir açıklama yaparak Medin’in “silahlı terör örgütü üyeliği” ve “Cumhurbaşkanı’na hakaret” suçlamalarıyla tutuklandığını doğruladı ve “tutuklama kararının gazetecilik faaliyetleriyle ilgili olmadığını” iddia etti.

Suçlamalar, Ankara Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı Terör Suçları Soruşturma Bürosu tarafından 2023 yılında başlatılan ve Medin’in Stockholm’de düzenlenen bir protestoya katıldığı iddiasına dayanan bir soruşturma kapsamında yöneltildi. Söz konusu protestoda, Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’ın bir kuklası ayaklarından asılmıştı. Ancak protestoyu düzenleyenler, Medin’in bu eyleme katıldığı iddiasını derhal yalanladı.

İsveç Gazeteciler Sendikası’na (SJF) göre Medin, siyasi mahkumların tutulduğu yüksek güvenlikli Silivri’de bulunan Marmara Cezaevi’ne nakledildi.

Bu tutuklama, ülke genelindeki protestoların ardından medya özgürlüğüne yönelik hızla kötüleşen baskının en güncel örneklerinden biridir. İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı Ekrem İmamoğlu’nun 19 Mart’ta tutuklanmasından bu yana MFRR, en az 13 gazetecinin gözaltına alındığını belgelemiştir; bunlardan en az yedisi, toplantı ve gösteri yürüyüşleri yasasını ihlal etmekle suçlanmaktadır. En az 12 gazeteci polis şiddetine maruz kalmıştır. Ayrıca, Radyo ve Televizyon Üst Kurulu (RTÜK), çeşitli yayın kuruluşlarına çok sayıda para cezası vermiş, bir kanala geçici yayın yasağı getirmiş ve yalnızca resmi kaynaklara dayanmayan medya kuruluşlarının lisanslarını iptal etmekle tehdit etmiştir.

MFRR, Medin’in haksız yere tutuklanmasını en güçlü şekilde kınamakta, derhal serbest bırakılmasını ve ona yöneltilen suçlamalar ile tüm diğer gazetecilere yönelik suçlamaların düşürülmesini talep etmektedir. Ayrıca, yetkililere, yabancı muhabirler de dahil olmak üzere tüm yabancı gazetecilerin serbestçe çalışmasına ve Türkiye’deki gelişmeleri ifade hürriyeti kapsamında belgelemelerine izin verme çağrısında bulunuyoruz.

MFRR, Medin’in durumunu yakından izlemeye devam edecek ve basına yönelik baskılar sonucunda tutuklanan tüm gazeteciler için savunuculuk çalışmalarını sürdürecektir.

İmzalayanlar:

Avrupa Gazeteciler Federasyonu (EFJ)
Avrupa Basın ve Medya Özgürlüğü Merkezi (ECPMF)
Uluslararası Basın Enstitüsü (IPI)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

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Hungary: IPI warns of fresh crackdown on independent media

The International Press Institute (IPI) today warns of a looming crackdown by the Hungarian government on independent media in the country, in the wake of recent incendiary comments by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in which he vowed to eliminate all media outlets and other organisations that have received foreign funding.

18.03.2025

In recent weeks, Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party have drastically ramped up rhetoric against media and other civil society groups operating in Hungary that receive any form of foreign grant or funding and pledged to draft new legislation to protect national sovereignty.

These latest threats against the media escalated further on 15 March when, during a major political rally in Budapest, the Prime Minister accused journalists of his government of serving the interests of foreign powers and compared them and other groups to insects who would soon be eradicated.

During the speech, the PM told several thousand supporters that in the coming weeks the government would “dismantle the financial machine that has used corrupt dollars to buy politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-NGOs, and political activists. We will eliminate the entire shadow army”. In widely criticised remarks, he also said: “After today’s celebrations comes the big Easter clean-up, as the bugs have survived the winter.”

The threats to “clean” the media and other sectors by the end of April come after a speech by the Prime Minister at the opening session of Parliament in February in which he said: “The corruption network that rules the entire Western world of politics and media must be eliminated,” adding that his government would “go to the wall” with the new laws.

Scott Griffen, Executive Director of the International Press Institute (IPI), said: “These recent comments by the Prime Minister mark a worrying turning point in the ongoing and systematic attack on independent journalism. The use of dehumanizing rhetoric to describe journalists and other civil society actors is alarming and dangerous and should be strongly condemned.

“Such open threats to eliminate media critics are shocking from the head of a European Union Member State. IPI is concerned that this language, used repeatedly by leading politicians in recent months, suggests a major crackdown on media that is deemed critical of the government.

“Any development of draft legislation to bolster the work of the already weaponised Sovereignty Protection Office in Hungary, if brought forward, would pose a major threat to much of the independent media operating in the country and should be opposed as strongly as possible by the European Union.”

Griffen sad that for too long the EU has failed to prevent the Orbán government’s efforts to control the country’s media that has led to an alarming erosion of media freedom and pluralism, with damaging implications for Hungarian democracy.

Hungary already has the most captured media landscape in the European Union (EU), as IPI has long documented. Over the past decade, the ruling party has gained an unprecedented influence over private and public media, allowing it to muzzle the independent press and distort the market to entrench a dominant pro-government narrative.

IPI has strongly criticised the operations of the Sovereignty Protection Office, a supposedly independent body headed by a Fidesz loyalist, which has over the previous year been instrumentalised to dial up pressure on media and others which receive foreign funding.

While the accusations against critical media of serving foreign interests had increased since the global suspension of USAID funding by the Trump administration, they are part of a longer campaign of delegitimization and stigmatisation of critical media by Fidesz.

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TikTok ban in Albania threatens freedom of expression ahead…

SafeJournalists Network and Media Freedom Rapid Response: TikTok ban in Albania threatens freedom of expression ahead of general elections

SafeJournalists Network (SJN), the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, and civil society organisations express serious concern regarding the Albanian Council of Ministers’ decision on March 6, 2025, to suspend nationwide access to the TikTok platform for 12 months. While we acknowledge the government’s stated intention to protect children from harmful content and safeguard personal data, we strongly underline that such protective measures must fully respect fundamental human rights, particularly freedom of expression, access to information, and due process.

11.03.2025

Freedom of Expression and Proportionality

We emphasise that a total platform ban represents an extreme restriction of the right to freedom of expression and access to information. An outright suspension of an entire platform significantly exceeds proportionality, impacting the legitimate expression of all users and restricting public debate and access to diverse sources of information.

Alternative targeted solutions, such as robust content moderation, age verification, and enhanced user education programs, should have been fully explored prior to introducing a total ban. This measure’s overly broad nature sets a dangerous precedent for disproportionate state interference with digital rights.

As an EU candidate country, Albania is expected to uphold European standards on rule of law and fundamental freedoms. The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) framework emphasises platform accountability and content moderation transparency with a risk-based and proportionate approach. The DSA favours holding platforms accountable for managing risks on their services rather than punishing users by shutting the services down. We encourage Albania to align its approach with this paradigm.

Democratic and Electoral Concerns

With parliamentary elections approaching in May 2025, the timing of this suspension is particularly troubling. TikTok has become an emerging platform for political communication and voter engagement, especially for young people, first-time voters, and newly formed political parties and movements, who have argued that they will be disproportionately impacted. By limiting access to this platform, the government risks suppressing these emerging voices, diminishing political pluralism, and creating a chilling effect that may extend beyond TikTok users, affecting journalists, content creators, civil society activists, and civic watchdogs.

Due Process and Transparency

We note that the decision follows Prime Minister Rama’s public announcement in December 2024 indicating consultations with selected parents and educators. However, there remains insufficient publicly available evidence on these consultations’ scope, representativeness, and outcomes. We emphasise that decisions of this scale and significance should be based on thorough, transparent, and inclusive consultations involving civil society organisations, media organisations, industry, digital rights advocates, and affected communities.

Risks of Setting a Dangerous Precedent

We express concern that implementing a platform-wide ban creates a troubling precedent for Albania and the region. When governments claim broad authority to shut down popular platforms due to content concerns, they risk opening the door to further restrictions, threatening internet freedom more broadly. We urge the Albanian authorities to avoid establishing such a precedent, ensuring that future content issues are addressed through targeted, evidence-based, and proportionate measures.

Recommendations

We call on the Albanian government to immediately revoke the suspension of TikTok and initiate an inclusive and transparent consultation process involving parliament, civil society, media organisations, digital rights advocates, and international partners. This consultation should aim to develop a proportionate and evidence-based regulatory framework in line with European standards, particularly the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). This approach will enable Albania to effectively address legitimate concerns about child safety and data privacy, while fully safeguarding freedom of expression, democratic discourse, and due process—especially critical in the context of the upcoming elections.

Signed by:

SafeJournalists Network

Association of BH journalists
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Macedonian Journalists
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Media Freedom Rapid Response partners:

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
International Press Institute (IPI)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

Civil society organisations in Albania:

Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV)
Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH-AJA)
Albanian Center for Quality Journalism (ACQJ)
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania (BIRN Albania)
Albanian Media Council
Res Publica
Citizens.al
Albanian Center MediaLook
Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM)
Center for the Protection of Children’s Rights in Albania (CRCA-ECPAT)

This statement was coordinated by the SafeJournalists Network and joined by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

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Georgia: Independent Journalism and Media Pluralism on the Brink

MFRR Partners warn that a new wave of repressive legislation threatens Georgian independent journalism with imminent extinction.

10.03.2025

We, the undersigned press freedom, journalists, and freedom of expression organisations, express deep concern over the recently proposed legislation, increasing threats to journalists’ safety, and the broader decline of media freedom in Georgia. We urge the international community, especially the European Union (EU), to address the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and support Georgia’s embattled independent media sector.

On 24 February 2025, the Georgian Dream ruling party and its satellite party People’s Power introduced amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, strengthening the censorship powers of the broadcast regulator and restricting “foreign powers” from funding broadcasters or co-financing programmes. A “foreign power” is broadly defined, and includes foreign governments, non-citizens, and foreign based organisations.

The amendments expand the powers of the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) to regulate factual accuracy, fairness, and privacy, previously overseen through self regulation. The GNCC will be able to issue penalties of up to 3% of annual revenue or even revoke a broadcaster’s license for breaching the new rules These changes will empower the GNCC to act as the government’s censor to silence critical media outlets.

On March 3, the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee passed the first reading of a new version of the “Foreign Agent Law,” entitled the “Foreign Agents Registration Act,” which could impose fines of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to five years for non-compliance.

According to the GD party, the legislation is a “Georgian translation” of the U.S. FARA law. The explanatory note attached to the draft law states that the primary reason for introducing a ‘precise analogue’ of FARA is that the majority of civil society organisations receiving foreign funding have refused to register under the existing foreign agents law, adopted in May 2024, titled the “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.”

Unlike Georgia’s legislation, which broadly targets media and NGOs, the U.S. FARA was adopted in 1938 to regulate lobbying for foreign adversaries, such as Nazi Germany. The scope of the US FARA has been significantly limited through case law and has been rarely employed beyond requiring the registration of foreign lobbyists.

While the Georgian draft includes exemptions such as broadcasting networks, and scientific, academic, religious, educational, and artistic activities, its scope is likely to be applied much more broadly, including media, due to a highly politicised administration and the absence of judicial independence.

Without the usual democratic safeguards these laws are likely to be weaponized to silence the government’s critics.

The current “Transparency of Foreign Influence” law already empowers the Ministry of Justice to conduct investigations into organisations in receipt of foreign grants, allowing for direct interference in the activities of independent media, many of which rely heavily on foreign grants.

These legal initiatives are part of a comprehensive government crackdown on the media over the past year that has seen the rapid deterioration of press freedom and of targeted violence against journalists, amid a broader democratic backsliding.

Since the start of the post-election protests in November 2024 dozens of journalists have been viciously beaten, verbally assaulted, threatened, and detained. Their equipment has been confiscated and destroyed, and their reporting has been repeatedly obstructed.

Meanwhile, Mzia Amaglobeli, a veteran Georgian journalist and the founder and director of two of the country’s most prominent independent media organisations, has been unjustly held in pre-trial detention since her arrest in early January.

The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), which has long been an instrument of the Georgian Dream government, has suppressed efforts by journalists who try to report free of political control.

The extensive capture of political institutions including the judiciary means that impunity for crimes against journalists remains widespread, with investigations often being insufficient and perpetrators rarely held accountable, particularly those from the police.

In addition, amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences and the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations, adopted in a rushed manner, introduce harsher penalties and significantly higher fines for administrative offences, further undermining and restricting the freedom of assembly and expression.

The deterioration of press freedom in Georgia, amid rising authoritarianism, is extremely alarming—and, if continued, will have wider implications for democracy in the region.

We urge the Georgian government to stop the persecution of independent newsrooms and media professionals. We further reiterate our call to the European Union to place effective pressure on the Georgian Dream ruling party to withdraw the new legislation impacting media and halt the broader crackdown on journalism and civil society.