Online safety & content laws in Serbia (2026)

Platform liability and content rules are split across the Law on Electronic Media, the Law on Electronic Trade (which provides an ISP/host-provider safe harbour mirroring the EU e-Commerce Directive), and the Law on Public Information and Media. No single statute consolidates online-safety obligations for platforms in the manner of the EU DSA.

In June 2025 the National Assembly adopted amendments to the Law on Electronic Media, the Law on Public Media Services, and the Law on Public Information and Media. Key changes include establishing an Audience Ombudsman, expanding REM Council nominations, and strengthening competition provisions in media — but the reforms do not introduce DSA-style obligations for large online platforms.

The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) oversees broadcast and on-demand audiovisual services and may impose sanctions up to licence revocation for content violations. Concerns persist about the regulator's independence and limited enforcement activity — only nine measures issued over three years.

Serbia, as a Western Balkans EU-accession candidate, is expected to transpose DSA-equivalent obligations, including establishing a Digital Services Coordinator (potentially REM). As of mid-2026, no DSA-equivalent domestic law has been enacted; Serbian companies serving EU users are subject to the EU DSA's extraterritorial reach.

Under Serbia's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA, modelled on the GDPR), the age of digital consent is 15; parental consent is required for children under 15. No standalone age-verification law for online platforms exists; PDPA amendments were in working-group review in early 2025.

Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2025 report scored Serbia 67/100 and reclassified it as 'Partly Free', citing social-media user detentions during 2024–25 protests, targeted spyware use against journalists and activists, and SLAPPs against online media. The New Law on Information Security (in force 31 October 2025), aligning with NIS2, addresses cybersecurity infrastructure but not government surveillance or online-speech rights.