Daily fines of up to 500 thousand lekë/ New law with sanctions against harmful online content

2026-01-15 07:08:47, Aktualitet CNA

Daily fines of up to 500 thousand lekë/ New law with sanctions against

Fines reaching up to 500 thousand lek for every 24 hours of delay are the main weapon of the new law to force platforms and online service providers to remove harmful content on the internet.

By decision of the Council of Ministers, the government has defined the administrative mechanism that gives the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) direct punitive powers against entities that do not implement court decisions to protect victims from digital violence.

According to the decision, AKEP will impose administrative fines of 30,000 to 500,000 lek for every 24 hours of delay on online service providers that fail to remove, block or delete digital content determined as protective measures by the court. This includes, among others, intimate images published without the consent of the victim, accounts or passwords used for stalking, as well as electronic profiles or links used for harassment.

Fines imposed by AKEP constitute an executive title and are paid into the state budget. Responsible entities benefit from an automatic reduction of 15% of the fine amount, if payment is made within 30 days of notification of the decision. Meanwhile, the law provides for the right to appeal within 45 days to the competent administrative court.

Beyond financial sanctions, the law significantly expands the territorial jurisdiction of the Albanian authorities. Protective and administrative measures apply within the territory of the Republic of Albania, but AKEP and the audiovisual media regulatory authority can order the removal, blocking or restriction of digital content regardless of the location of the server or service provider.

In certain cases, the civil court may go even further, ordering the prohibition of online and offline contact, as well as the seizure of any digital means used to commit violence, as long as these means are located within the country's territory.

The procedures, request formats and electronic notification methods for these measures will be approved by a joint decision of the High Judicial Council, the authority responsible for justice and the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority, aiming to standardize and accelerate interventions in the digital environment. /Monitor