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Albania's anti-disinformation strategy could undermine free media
Parlamenti shqiptar ka miratuar një strategji kombëtare për të luftuar ndërhyrjen e huaj dhe dezinformimin – por opozita pretendon se ajo mund të përdoret kundër mediave vendase që demaskojnë dështimet e qeverisë.

The warning in parliament sounded strong.
“Events have shown that Albania has become a constant target of foreign interference and disinformation, so preventive measures are needed, with the help of our European partners,” Erjon Braçe, an MP from the ruling Socialist Party, told MPs on July 3.
That same day, MPs voted to approve a new National Strategy against Foreign Interference and Disinformation – which aims to combat harmful foreign interference in important sectors such as elections, media and cybersecurity.
During the presentation of the strategy by Brace, who is the chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee Against Disinformation, he said that the measures are necessary to strengthen national security following cyberattacks in recent years and Albania's commitment to achieving European Union standards.
In 2022, a wave of cyberattacks on Albanian government networks was carried out, according to a report by the US FBI and the Albanian Agency for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure, by hackers working for Iran.
Brace explained that the new strategy is based on four pillars, which include building institutional capacities to prevent foreign interference in election campaigns and protecting national security from such interference, through strengthening partnerships with NATO, the EU and other allies.
They also include protecting Albania's economy and critical sectors within it from financial penetration by bad actors, as well as protecting and strengthening freedom of expression and media freedom by supporting investigative journalism in identifying harmful interference.
According to the strategy, "disinformation, information manipulation, and harmful foreign interference in democratic processes represent hybrid threats that have taken on global proportions over the last decade, undermining trust in fundamental state institutions and the healthy functioning of democratic society."
Specific details on how the strategy will be implemented have not yet been provided, but the Albanian opposition is suspicious of the government's motives.
The opposition argues that under the rule of Prime Minister Edi Rama's Socialist Party, which became even more dominant after its recent victory in parliamentary elections, the strategy could be used to stifle criticism and undermine free media.
The opposition Democratic Party boycotted the work of the Special Committee Against Disinformation and the vote on July 3.
Deputetja Ina Zhupa nga Partia Demokratike, e cila akuzon qeverinë Rama se po përpiqet gjithnjë e më shumë të kontrollojë peizazhin mediatik për të siguruar mbulim miqësor të veprimeve të saj, e quajti strategjinë një “mjet politik”.
“Strategjia e dezinformimit përfundoi ashtu siç filloi, një strategji e njëanshme për t’u përdorur si një mjet politik kundër medias, por edhe për të kapur disi gazetarinë dhe median në Shqipëri”, tha Zhupa për BIRN.
“Nëse e lexoni me kujdes objektivin e katërt që ka të bëjë drejtpërdrejt me median, aty përshkruhet me këto fjalë: së pari, verifikimi i fakteve. Republika e Shqipërisë do të investojë në verifikimin e fakteve, që do të thotë se qeveria shqiptare do të bëjë verifikimin e fakteve dhe do të sponsorizojë start-up-e për të kryer verifikimin e fakteve”, tha ajo.
“Kjo tregon qartë qëllimin për të pasur përfshirje direkte në media, sepse këto start-up-e do të varen nga donatori, domethënë qeveria.”
Elvin Luku, një ekspert i medias që drejton organizatën MediaLook në Tiranë dhe që ka qenë kritik ndaj strategjisë, tha se është e paqartë se si do të zbatohet në praktikë mbështetja e premtuar për gazetarinë investigative.
“Sa i përket mbështetjes për gazetarinë investigative, duket interesante që në pikën 4.1.5 të strategjisë thuhet se do të ofrohen stimuj fiskalë për gazetarinë investigative. Por nuk e kuptoj se si do ta bëjnë këtë në praktikë”, tha Luku për BIRN.
Sipas Zhupës, kjo pjesë e strategjisë ngre edhe më shumë alarme. “Kjo do të thotë se media do të kryejnë hetime me lejen e qeverisë”, argumentoi ajo.
Nevoja për masa mbrojtëse për të shmangur keqpërdorimin
Blerjana Bino, një eksperte e medias që drejton Qendrën për Shkencë dhe Inovacion për Zhvillim në Tiranë dhe organizatën për lirinë e medias Safe Journalists Albania, dhe që mori pjesë në takimet konsultative për strategjinë, argumentoi se nevojiten masa mbrojtëse për të shmangur keqpërdorimin e mundshëm të masave kundër dezinformimit.
“Si pjesë e konsultimeve dhe në takimet e organizuara nga Komisioni i Posaçëm Kundër Dezinformimit, në të cilat morëm pjesë, theksuam nevojën për masa mbrojtëse të qarta për të shmangur keqpërdorimin e mundshëm gjatë zbatimit të planit të veprimit të strategjisë, për shembull për të siguruar që kritikat legjitime ose zërat kundërshtues të mos etiketohen si dezinformim apo ndërhyrje e huaj”, tha ajo për BIRN.
“Strategjia ka disa parime të përgjithshme për rritjen e mbrojtjes kundër manipulimit të informacionit nga ndërhyrja e huaj dhe zbatimi në praktikë duhet të garantojë respektimin e shtetit të së drejtës, lirinë e shprehjes dhe standardet e Këshillit të Evropës për lirinë e shprehjes”, shtoi ajo.
Ajo argumentoi se qeveria duhet të “garantojë që shqetësimet legjitime për sigurinë kombëtare të mos komprometojnë të drejtat themelore të njeriut dhe liritë demokratike”.
Albanian journalists have also expressed concerns about the strategy, particularly because they are already finding it difficult to obtain information from the government and state institutions. Esiona Konomi, a political journalist who covers parliament, argued that the government is currently making no effort to improve transparency.
"On the contrary, while promoting a fight against inaccurate or tendentious information, the media is not being strengthened by being provided with access to information," Konomi told BIRN.
"Disinformation begins first and foremost from a lack of information, and from this perspective, the socialist majority has worsened the situation, being the first source of disinformation," she claimed.
She also stressed that "the package lacks concrete guarantees about who will protect freedom of expression from those who will 'fight disinformation'".
Like many others, Konomi is concerned that the strategy could become a tool in the hands of the government to stifle media coverage it doesn't like.
"As long as there are no independent regulatory institutions or credible self-regulatory institutions in the field of media and information, equipping the government with 'anti-disinformation' packages could easily turn into a weapon of the ruling party to combat critical media that is outside its influence," she argued./BIRN
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