During the monitoring period July 6–11, fake news was the dominant form of misinformation, constituting the most frequent category of identified cases.
During the monitoring period, fake news was mainly published on TikTok, focusing on political and security topics. The identified claims included disinformation about an alleged agreement under which 1,000 Israeli soldiers would be deployed to guard northern Kosovo, as well as unsubstantiated claims that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama had threatened Kosovo, North Macedonia and Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti in connection with the protests in Tirana. Fact-checking showed that these claims were not supported by any official source or credible evidence and were built on false interpretations or manipulation of existing content.
Cases of clickbait and unverified content were also identified. One case of clickbait was related to the announcement of the company “Vita”, which through the title “EXCLUSIVE: RESULTS OF AUV – VITA 100% MILK” created the impression that the results of the latest inspections of the Food and Veterinary Agency had been published, while in reality they were analyses carried out several months ago. Meanwhile, unverified claims distributed in the media and social networks regarding the appearance of the new football stadium in Kosovo were also identified, where an architectural concept realized as a master's thesis was mistakenly presented as the official project of the stadium expected to be built for the 2030 Mediterranean Games, although the authorities have not yet presented an official design.
During this period, a case of fraud was also identified on Facebook, where a video was published showing the head of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, Naim Tërnava, promoting a supposed method for curing diabetes. Verification showed that the content was likely generated with artificial intelligence (AI) and was used to deceive the public by falsely attributing statements to a public figure.
Fake news
A video has been circulating on TikTok claiming an agreement that 1 Israeli soldiers will guard northern Kosovo. There is no official announcement or credible source confirming this claim. The footage in the video is from a visit by the former Foreign Minister of Kosovo from 2022. There was no mention of any issue as in the claim. NATO has a security mission in Kosovo, through KFOR. And Israel is not part of NATO. (here)
The two TikTok posts claim that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has threatened Kosovo, North Macedonia and Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti in relation to the protests in Tirana. The verification of the facts shows that there is no evidence in the form of a video, audio or official statement that Rama has made such statements. A check of his official social media accounts and the Albanian Government’s sources did not confirm the claims made. Also, regarding Albin Kurti, Rama has stated that he should not be associated with the actions of some members or supporters of Vetëvendosje who participated in the protests, exempting him from responsibility for these actions. (here)
Lies
A video has been released showing Naim Tërnava, the head of the Islamic Community of Kosovo (BIK), presenting a possible cure for diabetes. The video was posted on Facebook by a page called “Satslospejo Flantsperpro”. The content in question is likely to have been generated by artificial intelligence (AI). (here)
Clickbait
On July 2 of this year, AUV inspectors conducted inspections at the “Vita” dairy factory, where they took samples of the factory’s products. The results of these samples have not yet been published, while the “Vita” company published an information on July 6 stating “EXCLUSIVE: AUV RESULTS – VITA 100% MILK ARE OUT”. However, the results that the company is talking about in this case are of samples taken in April, the analyses of which were completed in May, as can be seen in the documents attached to the announcement. (here)
Unverified content
Through headlines in the regional media, but also in Albanian on social media, claims have been circulating about what the new football stadium in Kosovo will look like. The claim of all is that this stadium will be built for the “Mediterranean Games 2030” that are expected to be organized in the capital of Kosovo. The photos present a concept by architect Ardit Hamza, part of his master’s thesis, and not the official project. There is no official information that any design has been selected for the stadium planned for the Mediterranean Games 2030. (here)