Honourable attendees,
Honourable Ms. Xharra,
Dear participants,
Today, our lives flow in parallel in two worlds: the physical one that we touch and the digital one where every day we leave traces, interact and build new realities. We have always thought of the Internet as a free space, where everyone can be heard, learn and connect with others without barriers.
But, in the face of this extraordinary potential, we must not allow a space created to connect to divide us; we must not accept that internet freedom is used as a shield for attacks, defamation and denigration.
Internet freedom has become one of the fundamental pillars of modern democracy, because it embodies freedom of expression, information and privacy in the digital universe.
And, precisely because it is a free space, it is also more exposed to misuse. Therefore, the level of risk is constantly increasing, both for users, for content, but also for the way public discourse is constructed.
Just as freedom of expression, which out of context can be transformed into a means of violation, the internet remains a powerful tool, which in case of misuse, turns into an instrument of violence, manipulation and attack against individuals or groups.
Internet freedom is a democratic value, but every freedom requires responsibility.
Because where responsibility is lacking, the possibility of abuse opens up. And, we are seeing this every day: hate speech, disinformation, anonymous threats, blackmail and bullying are increasing at a worrying rate.
Distinguished guests,
The internet is not only facing offensive comments, but also serious attempts to attack the very idea of it as a safe and free space in which people have felt more protected than in physical reality.
One of the greatest dangers is the increase in privacy intrusions, which is seriously damaging internet freedom.
In this space that should be freedom and opportunity, we are increasingly seeing a painful reality, where our girls and women, as well as children, face threats, bullying, blackmail and digital violence that aims to silence their voices and, above all, break their dignity.
This is not only a violation of internet ethics, but an attack on the very foundations of human freedoms. Internet freedom is being misused by individuals and groups who hide behind anonymity to spread fear, violate integrity and silence people.
In the face of this reality, we cannot remain indifferent. We must protect the rights of everyone online with the same determination with which we protect them in real life, because their dignity knows no boundaries between the physical and digital worlds.
Therefore, we must make the internet a space where our women and girls are present with dignity, not with fear. Where our children are protected, not bullied. We need a new social pact for the digital space, which implies humanity, safety and respect.
Because, if this is not done, then the phenomenon we are facing poses a real threat to internet freedom, because it threatens it not only from individual abuses, but also from the lack of regulation and the ethical vacuum that often characterizes the digital space.
Distinguished guests,
Kosovo also faces strategic challenges that affect our digital security and democracy.
You know that since the Albanian language is not as yet recognized on the Google platform, and this means that the algorithms often cannot detect hate speech or abuse in Albanian. For this reason, I have held meetings with Google executives, requesting not only recognition of the Albanian language through the identification of hate speech and abuse, but at the same time acceptance on all their other platforms, as well as resolving problems with developer accounts.
An important step was achieved last year, in December, with Kosovo’s membership in Amazon platforms, after the meeting I had with the company’s executives in Washington D.C., as well as with many other companies that will help Kosovo on digital platforms.
This was not only a technical step, but an important strategic step in creating our digital infrastructure and strengthening internet freedom.
And this commitment will continue, although the challenges are still numerous. The fact that we are not yet a member of INTERPOL makes it difficult to investigate many cyberattacks and online violence.
However, the main problem is not a lack of freedom, but a lack of responsibility, protection and ethics.
Therefore, together, we must build a much safer digital ecosystem. True freedom begins with speech, but true civilization begins with the way we use it. Therefore, let us protect the internet as our common space, because only in this way do we simultaneously protect each other’s dignity.
Thank you!
