In an interview with “Kallxo Përnime” TV programme on March 16, Krenare Sogojeva Dërmaku, the Commissioner of the Kosovo Agency for Information and Privacy, AIP,  emphasised the risks posed by illegal surveillance cameras and breaches of personal data, urging citizens to report potential violations. 

“Citizens need to be more aware of their surroundings,” she stated, adding that “if you see a camera in a public place without a notice, contact us immediately, as only this way can we ensure that your privacy is protected.”

Commissioner Sogojeva Dërmaku explained that over 6,000 surveillance cameras were discovered to be accessible online and that AIP has ordered Kosovo municipalities to transfer control of public cameras to the Kosovo Police.

“These cameras, whether placed in public squares, businesses, or private homes, could be easily exploited, and citizens’ privacy is at risk. The only authority in the country authorized to monitor these cameras is the Kosovo Police,” Sogojeva Dërmaku clarified.

Despite the agency’s efforts to address privacy concerns, many citizens remain unaware of their privacy rights, Sogojeva Dërmaku emphasized. 

“We face a low level of awareness about privacy rights in Kosovo, and to address this, all sectors—media, civil society, and the public sector—need to collaborate more effectively,” she added.

According to her, even being interviewed in public spaces without prior consent is a violation of privacy and should be reported. 

“This is simply prohibited by law without obtaining prior consent from the citizen, and we are always talking about ordinary citizens, not public officials,” Sogojeva Dërmaku explained. 

She also explained the right to be forgotten, meaning that even when an interview is given with the individual’s consent, a person can request for the interview to be removed at any time after and platforms must oblige by removing the content. 

 Sogojeva Dërmaku briefly spoke about recent opposition to social media platforms such as TikTok because of privacy concerns. Despite the potential risks, she said “I wouldn’t say banning a social platform, even TikTok, is the best solution.”

“There are legitimate security concerns, particularly regarding its ties to China, but these issues should be handled in line with existing regulations and legislation,” because according to her, “when implemented correctly, privacy measures and security protocols on platforms like TikTok can still offer a decent level of protection for users.”

She explained that the agency has “successfully translated TikTok’s privacy policies into Albanian, and we’ve raised the age limit for account creation from 13 to 16.”