The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) expresses serious concern over the coordinated bot attacks and cyberattacks targeting the accounts and websites of several media outlets, journalists, photojournalists and activists in recent days. It is particularly concerning that these attacks are taking place amid an intense election campaign, when citizens need unhindered access to timely, accurate and verifiable information about the activities of all election participants.
In a short period of time, the Instagram account of the Mašina news portal gained around ten thousand followers suspected of being fake accounts. Due to the risk that its account could be restricted or shut down, the newsroom urged its audience to also follow its backup account, @masina.video. However, it soon reported that the backup account was being subjected to the same type of attack.
The editorial team of the weekly Radar reported to IJAS that its Instagram account is also being targeted by bot attacks.
The account of photographer Gavrilo Andrić, the accounts of other activists and the profiles of certain local media outlets have also been targeted by similar bot attacks. A sudden and massive influx of fake followers can trigger social media platforms’ automated systems, resulting in reduced visibility, restricted functionality or the complete shutdown of accounts, even though their owners have not violated platform rules.
At the same time, the Kovinske info news portal reported that its website had been subjected to cyberattacks, while the Vranje News portal had previously informed the public about similar problems. Such attacks make the work of newsrooms and access to their content more difficult or entirely impossible, directly undermining the public’s right to be informed.
Given that Serbia is in the midst of an intense election campaign, there are reasonable grounds to suspect that these attacks are connected to reporting by media outlets, journalists and photojournalists, as well as to the activities of individuals documenting events related to the electoral process. There is also a real risk that attacks of this kind, together with other forms of pressure, will continue and intensify in the coming period, particularly online.
Coordinated bot attacks and cyberattacks during an election campaign are not merely technical problems affecting individual newsrooms. They may result in relevant sources of information being removed from the public sphere, obstruct journalists’ work and limit citizens’ ability to make informed decisions at the polls. Citizens’ right to receive timely and reliable information about political actors, their programmes and activities is one of the fundamental prerequisites for free and democratic elections.
The latest attacks are reminiscent of the events of January this year, when the Instagram accounts of the weekly Radar were shut down, while the accounts of the media outlets Nova, Autonomija and VOICE, several civil society organisations, photographer Gavrilo Andrić, who covered the student protests, and other private users were temporarily suspended. Some accounts were suspended following a sudden increase in the number of fake followers, while others were targeted by coordinated false reports submitted to Meta.
We call on all media outlets to strengthen their digital security measures, document unusual activity and report attacks to the relevant platforms, their professional associations and, where necessary, the competent authorities. Institutions and technology companies have an obligation to ensure that the online space is not used during the election campaign as a tool for silencing the media and depriving citizens of information.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, 30 September 2026
