Serbian Authorities Intensify Biometric Surveillance of Critics: Report

A recent report by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) reveals that Serbian authorities have adopted extensive surveillance measures, including facial recognition technology, to monitor political opponents, civic activists, and journalists.

The report, titled “Digital Surveillance in Serbia – A Threat to Human Rights?” was published amid growing concerns over declining democratic standards in the country. It states that Serbia has installed over 8,000 surveillance cameras with facial recognition capabilities, primarily sourced from Chinese manufacturers such as Dahua and Hickvision. These deployments are officially justified as measures to combat crime and ensure public safety. However, the BIRN report suggests that the real purpose is to suppress dissent and monitor those critical of the government.

BIRN’s investigation indicates that the procurement of surveillance equipment often occurs under opaque contracts with private companies, lacking transparency and accountability—a secretive approach that has raised concerns about the erosion of human rights and privacy in Serbia.

The country’s aspirations for European Union membership require adherence to EU standards on data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity. Yet the country has simultaneously deepened its ties with authoritarian regimes, notably China and Russia. This dual alignment has resulted in the acquisition of advanced surveillance technology, including drones equipped with sophisticated monitoring capabilities for use in public demonstrations and border patrols.

The report also details instances of spyware use against civil society representatives and investigative journalists. In October 2023, state-sponsored attackers attempted to hack the iPhones of officials from pro-European civil society organizations. The spyware would have allowed attackers to access sensitive data, intercept communications, and remotely control the devices.

BIRN also uncovered that the Serbian Security Information Agency (BIA) surveilled former acting police director Slobodan Malesic without a court order, using intrusive software to monitor and analyze large amounts of data from his devices.

The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs attempted to retroactively legalize biometric surveillance through new legislation, but public resistance prevented the law from passing. Despite this, police and municipal governments continued to install surveillance cameras.

The report suggests that while the forthcoming AI Act by the EU, set to regulate AI technologies by 2025, could offer some regulatory relief, it may not fully address the underlying issues related to cybersecurity governance or the authoritarian nature of the Serbian government. The presence of Chinese tech companies and their compliance with China’s national legislation, which mandates data storage in China and access for Chinese intelligence services, remains a significant concern.

The report follows news back in April of 2022 that Serbia’s Personal Data Protection Commissioner, Milan Marinovic, opposed the Ministry of the Interior’s plans to procure facial recognition technology from Sweden’s Griffeye, citing significant privacy concerns. At the time, Marinovic argued that the desired Griffeye Analyze DI Pro system would be illegal under Serbia’s then-current privacy laws, while emphasizing that Serbia lacked the legal framework to support such sophisticated citizen data processing.

Source: Balkan Insight

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July 4, 2024 – by Ali Nassar-Smith