Prime Minister Edi Rama met with young people in Jalë on Saturday, where he discussed the recent protests and the impact of social media algorithms.
Rama said algorithms play a significant role in amplifying negativity, online noise and manipulated content, describing such videos as “fuel added to a fire” that, he argued, was started by people rather than by technology itself.
Speaking about the protests, the prime minister said they initially centred on Zvërnec, but argued that the original issue has since been forgotten. According to Rama, claims that the government had “sold Albania, Sazan Island or Zvërnec” were not supported by the facts.
“Every protest carries a message, regardless of its cause or who takes part in it. My duty is to understand that message, but also to understand the organisers, what lies beneath the surface and the full range of issues and forces involved,” Rama said.
He argued that while algorithms do not organise protests, hostile actors and disinformation campaigns can exploit genuine public concerns.
“Just as the algorithm is not the organiser of a protest, neither are the hostile forces that seek to harm Albania. But all these elements must be understood. People need to distinguish between the genuine motives behind a protest and the point at which manipulation begins, when sincere protesters unknowingly become tools of other interests,” he said.
Rama added that the original focus of the demonstrations had shifted away from Zvërnec, arguing that many people eventually realised the facts differed from the narrative spread through disinformation channels.
“The protests began with Zvërnec, and today Zvërnec has been forgotten because people quickly realised that the facts were different from the perception created through disinformation. The reality is that the government did not sell Albania, Sazan Island or Zvërnec,” Rama said.
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