From WIRED · Ruchi Kumar · · 2m
Meta's copyright system weaponized against Albanian protesters
Coordinated fake copyright complaints shut down accounts documenting anti-government protests in Albania, exposing how platforms can be abused to silence dissent.
In brief
Coordinated fake copyright complaints shut down accounts documenting anti-government protests in Albania, exposing how platforms can be abused to silence dissent. Meta's copyright enforcement system is vulnerable to coordinated abuse, allowing bad actors to silence political speech without hacking accounts or directly…
Albanian protests face mass account suspensions
Over three months of daily anti-government protests in Tirana, sparked by a luxury resort linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, have been disrupted by coordinated account suspensions on Meta platforms.
European lawmakers demand investigation
More than 30 Members of the European Parliament signed a letter asking the European Commission to investigate whether Meta's actions complied with the EU's Digital Services Act.
“What happened in Albania is tantamount to censorship.”
Copyright complaints used as weapon
Nearly all account suspensions resulted from copyright complaints that began in late August, with an NGO finding evidence of coordinated activity targeting protest documentation.
Hundreds of accounts targeted
Repro Uncensored verified around 100 cases of account restrictions connected to protests and estimates the true number could be several hundred based on patterns observed.
“We continue to receive additional reports and, based on the volume and patterns we are seeing, estimate that the true number could be several hundred.”
Pattern shows coordinated brigading
Multiple posts on the same accounts received five to ten copyright complaints in short periods, followed by escalating enforcement and account disabling, indicating coordinated activity.
Protester paid to file false reports
One person admitted to being paid $1,800 to report accounts and offered to withdraw complaints if the protester paid in cryptocurrency, revealing the financial incentive behind attacks.
“He asked for my contact and then texted me.”
Millions lose access to protest news
The targeted accounts collectively reach millions of people, meaning restrictions remove access to news, political information, protest documentation, and civic voices.
Copyright system favors overcompliance
Meta follows US copyright law under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which has a notice-and-takedown provision that tends to favor overcompliance, making platforms vulnerable to abuse.
Brigading tactic used in conflicts
Mass copyright reporting brigading has been used at scale in wars and conflicts, including by the Myanmar military to silence government critics, showing this is a known abuse tactic.
Government denies involvement
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected accusations of orchestrating attacks, claiming the government lacks technical capability and has nothing to do with account suspensions.
“We have nothing whatsoever to do with any social media account being disabled or restricted.”
EU investigation already underway
The European Commission confirmed it is investigating Meta over shadow banning of political voices and said the latest allegations were not surprising given ongoing Digital Services Act concerns.
In short
Meta's copyright enforcement system is vulnerable to coordinated abuse, allowing bad actors to silence political speech without hacking accounts or directly controlling platforms.
