Key facts
- Dozens of Instagram accounts in Albania have been disabled or closed.
- The accounts are linked to activists, journalists, and an opposition party protesting a luxury resort project.
- The resort project is linked to Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
- Affected users claim they received copyright infringement notices for their own content.
- Meta is reviewing the account actions and has restored some that were mistakenly blocked.
Dozens of Instagram accounts belonging to Albanian activists, journalists, and an opposition party leader have been disabled amid ongoing protests against a luxury resort development linked to Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law. The protests, dubbed the 'Flamingo Revolution,' have been ongoing for nearly 100 days.
Those whose accounts were affected insist they have not violated Instagram's rules, reporting that they received copyright infringement notices for content they created themselves. A digital rights NGO, Repro Uncensored, reviewed hundreds of cases and found no violations of community standards, suggesting a coordinated campaign to silence activists and remove critical political content.
A Meta spokesperson stated that the company is reviewing the actions taken against the accounts and has restored some that were mistakenly removed, apologizing for the inconvenience. However, some users still face limitations such as 'shadow bans,' where content distribution is restricted without notice.
Agron Shehaj, an Albanian Parliament member and opposition leader, had his account disabled and criticized the lack of transparency in the platform's rules, suggesting loopholes could be exploited to silence dissent. Prime Minister Edi Rama denied any government involvement in the account suspensions, calling the accusations 'nonsense.'
Other targeted individuals include Albanian-British chef Arjan Koçi, known for his drone footage, and journalist Alesia Burnazi, who described the situation as a 'new era of digital repression.' The European Democratic Party has formally requested clarification from Meta regarding the suspensions and potential manipulation of its reporting mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of free speech for Albania's EU aspirations.