Under Pressure: Digital Security of Civil Society in the Western Balkans and the European Union

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.

Beyond the technical gaps, system is largely failing; legal remedies are widely perceived as weak or non-existent, institutional responses are slow and inconsistent, and organisational cooperation is underdeveloped. The most urgent needs are digital security training, affordable forensic services, trusted expert access, and dedicated funding, needs that cut across both regions, but are particularly acute in the Western Balkans.

The analysis provides cross-country evidence base for coordinated action by civil society networks, donors, national institutions, and digital platforms committed to protecting civic space in an increasingly hostile digital environment.