Other threats to journalists Elvin Luku, 30/06/2024, Tirana

Translations: Tirana 

• Case info

• Personal info

• Regional center

  Tirana
• Gender

  Male
• Victim(s) name

  Elvin Luku

• Media outlet

• Name of the media outlet

  Media Look
• Source of information about the incident

  SJ

• Incident Data

• Date of incident

  30.06.2024
• City

  Tirana
• Perpetrator(s)

  Known (suspected)
• Type of incident

  Other threats to journalists

• Action by the authorities

• Action taken by the journalists' association

• Was journalist's association informed by the journalists directly?

  Yes

On the morning of June 30, 2024, the personal Facebook page of administrator Elvin Luku, from which the social networks of the portal www.medialook.al and the Albanian MediaLook Center were managed, was closed. This action made it impossible to access these profiles. However, the profiles were recovered due to the duplicate administration rights.

At this moment, it is difficult to identify the reasons for this attack. Since June 8th, in collaboration with the Union of Journalists, MediaLook has been conducting a series of roundtables on propaganda, disinformation, and an analysis of the media landscape in the country. Among other topics discussed in Shkoder, Elbasan, Vlore, and Tirana by MediaLook was the research on how the Municipality of Tirana dictates media content. The same content was reposted on the administrator’s page, now closed by Facebook, which dated back to 2008, with the argument that “community standards were violated.” It is confirmed that no images or videos with intellectual property were used.

The closure of the social network follows a series of attacks on the www.medialook.al website, which have been ongoing since the beginning of April 2024. According to available data, these intermittent attacks have been of the “DDoS” type.

MediaLook is a “media about media” founded by journalist and mass communication media researcher, Elvin Luku, on June 13, 2018.

The attacks and subsequent content removals raise concerns about the integrity of the information being shared. Continuous disruptions and accusations of violating community standards without clear justification can undermine the credibility of MediaLook, a platform dedicated to analyzing media practices and acting as a watchdog. The targeted attacks and social media closures can be seen as attempts to silence these critical voices. The fear of further attacks or closures may lead to self-censorship, where MediaLook and similar organizations might avoid publishing certain content to prevent further disruptions. The ongoing DDoS attacks since April 2024 indicate a persistent cyber threat against MediaLook. These attacks not only disrupt services but also expose vulnerabilities in the organization’s cyber defenses, necessitating immediate and enhanced security measures. Continuous attacks increase the risk of potential data breaches, where sensitive information about MediaLook’s activities, personnel, and collaborators could be compromised. This poses significant risks to privacy and security.