The rise of fake social media profiles is becoming a serious threat to Kosovo’s information space, with many of these accounts pushing narratives aligned with Serbia’s interests and aiming to fracture social cohesion and disrupt the electoral process.
University professor Alban Zeneli has raised alarm over the growing sophistication and frequency of these accounts, warning that they have become increasingly difficult to identify. Speaking to Ekonomia Online, Zeneli stressed that these anonymous profiles are deliberately designed to manipulate public opinion and exploit existing social and political sensitivities.
According to him, the easiest way to detect these accounts is by examining the narratives they promote.
“If we look closely, there are several narratives that Serbia wants to push in the context of Kosovo. The first is inciting division among the Albanian majority—whether political, religious, or social. Any internal fragmentation weakens society,” Zeneli explained.
Many of these profiles share the same characteristics: recently created accounts, little to no previous content, lack of identifiable photos, and an increasing use of AI-generated images and videos. This makes detection even more challenging for ordinary users.
Zeneli highlighted the massive exposure risk in Kosovo, where over one million Facebook accounts exist—an unusually high figure relative to the population. This high usage rate creates fertile ground for disinformation campaigns.
Disinformation Tactics: Emotional Triggers and Oversimplified Messages
Zeneli noted that the tactics of fake profiles extend beyond foreign influence and are now being used in domestic political competition as well—particularly to sway voters ahead of elections.
These accounts rely on two main tools:
- Oversimplified information
Disinformation thrives by presenting complex issues in simplistic, misleading ways that seem easy to digest. - Emotional manipulation
“The moment a user feels emotionally provoked—saying ‘this must be true’—that’s the moment they need to stop and think. They may already be falling into a disinformation trap,” Zeneli warned.
Proposed Solutions: Media Education and Targeted Awareness
To counter the growing problem, Zeneli proposes concrete preventive measures.
- Introduce mandatory media literacy education
The Ministry of Education should make media literacy a compulsory subject in pre-university schooling, helping young people build critical thinking skills needed to resist manipulated content. - Broader community training
Civil society, academia, and journalists should work with adults—especially those over 50—who are more vulnerable to online deception due to lower familiarity with new technologies.
Zeneli concluded that only a coordinated effort between institutions, civil society, and the public can protect Kosovo from organized disinformation efforts targeting its democracy, elections, and social stability.
