News

How forced-root installation, systematic permission abuse, and stealth SMS command-and-control expose Serbia’s expanding digital repression By: Janko Marković In recent years, state-driven surveillance in Serbia has intensified considerably, evolving from sporadic interventions into a more systematic form of digital repression. Within this troubling landscape, NoviSpy has emerged as a custom-built Android spyware, reportedly engineered to […]

How NoviSpy marked a shift from foreign spyware to domestic tools – and what that means for citizens under watch By: Ivana Jovanović Mercenary spyware, specialized malicious software developed by private firms and marketed to governments as tools for fighting crime and terrorism, finds most of its customer base in law enforcement and intelligence agencies. […]

Unpacking the tools, tactics, and implications of Serbia’s NoviSpy operation By: David Stevanović In an age of growing digital threats, the protection of personal data has become more urgent than ever. Recent research has uncovered a previously undocumented Android spyware, now known as NoviSpy, which appears to be part of a troubling trend: the use […]

How forensic analysis uncovered manipulation, exploitation, and the hidden risks behind one of digital forensics’ most powerful tools By: Boris Babović A re-examination of data from the analysis of devices seized from Serbian activists — originally conducted last year by the international organization Amnesty International — reveals that the Cellebrite UFED forensic tool has the […]

According to the findings by Amnesty International (AI), two investigative journalists of the online portal BIRN Serbia have been targeted by the Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli NSO Group. Jelena Veljković and another journalist who wished to remain anonymous received suspicious Viber messages on 14 February from the same unknown Serbian phone number. One […]

UPDATE 28 February 2025: Amnesty International’s Security Lab found one more case of abuse of Cellebrite’s tool on a phone of a student activist, who was held on 25 December after attempting to attend the SNS rally in Sava centar. More information and technical findings available at: https://securitylab.amnesty.org/latest/2025/02/cellebrite-zero-day-exploit-used-to-target-phone-of-serbian-student-activist/ The digital forensics tool is withdrawn from […]

Today, 19 December, European Digital Rights (EDRi) and 50 organisations urge the European Union’s institutions to take action to stop the Serbian authorities’ illegal use of spyware to target journalists, activists, and members of civil society. On 16 December, Amnesty International released a report exposing widespread abuses by the Serbian police and Security Information Agency (BIA) through the use […]

Proven use of spyware and forensic tools contrary to law The use of spyware represents a serious attack on human rights, freedom of expression and privacy of citizens. In Serbia its use is becoming a common practice. A new report by Amnesty International indicates widespread use of spyware against activists, journalists and members of civil society by […]

Digital violence against girls and women in Serbia is steadily on the rise, as increasingly disturbing headlines in the media attest. Among the most frequent targets of abusers are female journalists, social activists, politicians, and other prominent women in the public sphere. Additionally, well-known women often experience more extreme forms of this violence. Weak legal […]

The third Digital Rights Summer School was held from 25 to 31 August in Perast, Montenegro, gathering more than 40 journalists, activists and experts in the fields of AI, media, human rights, surveillance, and digital policy. During five days of talks and workshops, numerous issues regarding the regulation of the digital environment were discussed and […]