Disinformation and AI-Generated Videos Surge During Kosovo’s Early Elections

The public was flooded with disinformation during Kosovo’s early elections, which began on December 28, 2025, severely undermining both the electoral process and public trust. Social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok became battlegrounds where false statements attributed to politicians, AI-generated videos, and fabricated news circulated widely.

A comprehensive study by Democracy for Development (D4D), a Prishtina-based think tank, examined Kosovo’s social media environment during the 2025 National and Local Elections. Their findings revealed a troubling pattern of gendered disinformation, with women in politics remaining the primary targets of online violence and misogyny.

The research uncovered that 14% of all analyzed comments—totaling 91,525—contained hate speech directed at women politicians. Male authors generated 96.2% of these harmful comments in 2025, marking an increase from 89.6% in 2023.

“Deepfakes and AI-generated content are rapidly becoming the central tools of political misogyny,” the report stated. High-profile women were disproportionately targeted, including President Vjosa Osmani, former President Atifete Jahjaga, and several female MPs such as Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Doarsa Kica-Xhelili, Fitore Pacolli, and Duda Balje.

The European Commission, in its annual Progress Report for Kosovo, highlighted that hateful rhetoric and disinformation related to interethnic tensions increased significantly during the February 2025 election period, much of it produced by foreign actors. The report urged Kosovo authorities to “develop effective counter-narratives and strategic communication” to address these challenges.

Regulatory oversight failures compounded the problem. The Independent Media Commission (IMC) struggled to enforce regulations due to “persistent governance issues,” with the European Commission noting an “inadequate response to electoral disinformation and foreign interference.”

Krypometër, BIRN Kosovo’s fact-checking platform—certified by both the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN)—documented numerous instances of high-profile figures being misrepresented. Former presidents Hashim Thaçi and Atifete Jahjaga, former prime minister Isa Mustafa, former minister Arsim Bajrami, and political analyst Imer Mushkolaj all had false statements attributed to them supporting various political parties.

In one notable case, posts falsely portrayed Thaçi, currently detained in The Hague, as calling on voters to support acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, head of the Vetëvendosje party. Several of the targeted figures publicly denounced these fabrications as false and propagandistic.

Of the 55 pieces of content Krypometër verified as false, 47 directly related to the electoral process or political figures. On TikTok, the pattern was similar: approximately 61 of 80 verified false pieces of content were connected to the early elections.

Disinformation tactics were sophisticated, with false polling data emerging as a particular concern. “None of these polls were supported by credible sources and all lacked basic transparency,” noted Krypometër. “No methodology was provided, and the authors or organizations behind them remained unidentified—all key elements required to assess polling reliability.”

Imer Mushkolaj, Director of the Kosovo Press Council, explained to BIRN Kosovo that these campaigns specifically targeted “people who trust certain public figures,” misusing their credibility to influence voters. He noted that many disinformation campaigns appeared organized and sophisticated, often employing Artificial Intelligence to enhance credibility.

During the campaign, Krypometër identified AI-generated videos on TikTok and Facebook simulating livestreams from Prishtina International Airport. These fabricated videos showed diaspora members endorsing or opposing candidates from the Democratic League of Kosovo and Vetëvendosje, and fraudulently used local TV station logos without authorization.

Foreign interference complicated matters further. Eugen Cakolli of the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) pointed to “numerous sponsored articles from Sputnik and other outlets from Serbia and Russia targeting candidates from the local Serb opposition in Kosovo.” This contributed to what he described as “the near disappearance of some Serb opposition parties from the political scene.”

Albert Krasniqi from Democracy Plus characterized Serbian and Russian influence as “malign,” noting that these actors “seek to influence citizens through disinformation, especially Kosovo Serbs who rely heavily on Serbia-based media.” These outlets often republish Russian content aimed at fueling interethnic tensions and hindering Kosovo Serb integration.

BIRN’s report “Hate Speech and Disinformation During the 2025 Election in Kosovo” concluded that the February parliamentary election was “marred by unprecedented hate speech and disinformation from local and foreign actors,” raising serious concerns about future electoral integrity.

The report delivered a sobering assessment: Kosovo authorities are currently “unable to tackle disinformation and safeguard the right of voters to make a free and informed choice when picking their elected representatives”—a democratic challenge that requires urgent attention before the next electoral cycle.