ANEM ALARM: The Instagram page "Bez cenzure" suspended after an organized bot action.

According to a notification received from Meta, the account has been suspended due to alleged violations of intellectual property rules. They have been given the option to appeal within 180 days, after which the account could be permanently closed.

“For days now, reports have been arriving at addresses linked to our accounts, claiming that the video material produced and published by our editorial team supposedly belongs to other parties. The reports come from suspicious and, according to the information we have, fake email addresses, and the intensity and manner in which they are submitted indicate a coordinated attempt to remove content from Bez Cenzure from social media,” states the announcement from the Bez Cenzure editorial team.

They announced that they would appeal the decision from Instagram and provide documentation to Meta that could prove the origin and ownership of the disputed video materials.

ANEM reminds that earlier this year, many critical and professional media outlets, organizations, and individuals were targets of bot attacks on Instagram, after which Meta temporarily suspended their profiles, but they were quickly restored following public reaction.

At that time, those pages gained tens of thousands of new followers in a very short period by using fake profiles, with the goal of prompting Meta to classify this as prohibited activity and block or shut down those accounts.

The complaints against the "Bez Cenzure" page clearly represent a similar type of attack with the same objective, and it is indicative that this is occurring right before the announced elections in Serbia. Such cases can be classified under Article 299 of the Criminal Code regarding "computer sabotage," and we call on the relevant authorities in Serbia to respond in such situations, as well as state and party officials to publicly condemn any threats to freedom of speech in the country.

“After the bot attacks on Instagram in January and February of this year, we expected such attacks to continue and escalate, which is why we demand that the relevant authorities respond in order to prevent the shutdown of communication channels for professional media that are already subjected to targeting, defamation, threats, and attacks. The intention is clear: to stifle any criticism and freedom of speech in Serbia ahead of the announced elections. In order for the elections to be conducted in fair and democratic conditions, it is essential for the relevant authorities to proactively prevent such pressures and attacks on the media,” stated Veran Matić, Chairman of the ANEM Management Board and a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "Improving the Prevention and Response Mechanism in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Lives of Journalists in Serbia" is implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insajder TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union.