Security cameras installed on the streets of cities in Kosovo are considered by state institutions to be highly important for enhancing public safety and preventing criminal activity.
Municipal and police authorities emphasize that the monitoring system is protected and operates in accordance with applicable laws. Access to recorded data is limited and strictly controlled by the Kosovo Police, ensuring both public safety and national security.
In Pristina, North Mitrovica, Prizren, Obiliq, and other municipalities, public cameras installed by the state—mainly on streets—are closely monitored and supervised by the Kosovo Police, leaving no room for interference by any external entity or country, particularly Serbia.
The Director for Security and Emergencies in the Municipality of Pristina, Lulzim Fushtica, stated that the security cameras installed in the capital do not pose a risk to citizens’ safety or national security. On the contrary, according to him, they serve both citizens and the state.
Fushtica noted that the cameras are Canadian-made—not Russian or Chinese—and are produced by the company Avigilon, which, he claims, guarantees high security standards.
The Director of Police for the Pristina region, Bekim Bislimi, explained their function and the type of data they collect.
There are no changes to these procedures even for cameras installed in the northern municipalities of Kosovo. Deputy Police Director for the region, Veton Elshani, stated that the system operates in accordance with Kosovo laws and that data processing is carried out by the General Police Directorate in Pristina.
According to him, the cameras are secure and there is no risk that their data could be exploited by Serbia.
Cameras used for public safety are also secure and Canadian-made in the municipality of Prizren, according to the Director for Emergencies and Security, Sead Arifi.
Cybersecurity experts also state that public cameras installed by the state are secure, as are their data, since they are managed and monitored only by legitimate institutions. In contrast, private cameras pose a risk, as they are often not properly maintained or configured.
Cybersecurity expert Lis Tahirbegolli said that many privately owned cameras may be exposed on the internet. He added that police should invest in cybersecurity, cooperate with allies such as NATO, the United States, and the European Union for threat intelligence, and introduce legislation requiring the reporting of cyber incidents.
Another expert, Halil Berisha, emphasized that cameras monitored by the Kosovo Police are secure, but the same cannot be said for private ones.
According to him, Israel has carried out operations in Iran by exploiting security camera data, and he does not rule out the possibility that Serbia could attempt something similar using private security cameras in Kosovo, especially in the north.
Berisha stated that such interference could occur through the compromise of networks to which these cameras are connected. However, he added that Serbia does not have the technical or professional capacity to carry out such an attack.
Meanwhile, citizens say they do not believe that public cameras threaten their security or privacy. A resident of Drenas, Alban Hasani, said he feels safer since the cameras were installed.
Another citizen, Agron Balaj, added that these cameras are very important, as they help detect criminal acts committed by individuals.
Attention to cybersecurity, which can also affect national security, has been required of Kosovo through international agreements and commitments. In the Washington Agreement 2020, signed on September 4, 2020 by former Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and then-President of the United States Donald Trump, Kosovo committed not to purchase technological equipment from China or Russia. The same requirement was made of Serbia.
The agreement states that both parties should prohibit the use of 5G equipment supplied by untrusted vendors in their communication networks. If such equipment is present, both sides were asked to commit to its removal and to take other corrective measures.
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