The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) condemns the evidently organized bot attacks targeting the Instagram accounts of independent media outlets.
Radar’s newsroom was the latest to inform the public that this outlet’s Instagram account gained a large number of new followers in a very short period of time.
“In less than two hours, the number of followers increased by more than six thousand (and continues to grow), which is about 8 percent of the total number of followers on our Instagram profile,” Radar’s newsroom posted on Instagram.
They stated that they believe this is an “organized bot attack using fake profiles, through which the number of followers suddenly increases, putting the profile at risk of being blocked by Meta.”
In this regard, Radar’s newsroom contacted Meta, expressing concern that the account could be blocked or shut down.
Two days ago, Zoomer also informed the public that the outlet’s Instagram account had found itself in the same situation. Similar bot attacks have previously affected the official Instagram profile of Students in Blockade, the accounts of TV Nova and N1, as well as the account of photojournalist Irena Radosavljević.
Such attacks raise suspicions that these are coordinated digital assaults that form part of a broader strategy against those who report critically and speak out at a time when social media are becoming a key channel for disseminating information about events in Serbia.
IJAS/NUNS has previously called on the competent prosecutor’s office and the Ministry of Interior (MUP) to conduct an investigation into coordinated online attacks on the accounts of journalists, newsrooms, and civic initiatives, given the possible elements of criminal offenses.
We once again remind that it is the duty of institutions to ensure conditions in which journalists can report freely, ask questions, and be present at events of public interest, without selective treatment, political favoritism, or intimidation, whether in physical spaces or online.
Digital platforms, in cooperation with relevant institutions, should ensure protection against abuses of account-reporting systems and “fake followers,” so that legitimate journalistic and activist accounts are not punished by being taken down.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, January 12, 2026.
