Kosovo remains the only country in Europe without full access to the Internet as a result of the contestation of its independence. This isolation has affected the digital identity, which is presenting an obstacle in the development of online business for the citizens of the country.
The sentence "This video cannot be viewed in your country" on YouTube is not the only indicator that Kosovo does not have access to many platforms.
The explanation that YouTube gives for this is that some videos on this platform may be restricted to a country due to the content creator's decision to limit availability in certain countries or regions, usually related to licensing rights. In addition, YouTube may also block certain videos to comply with the local laws of that country.
The giant Google does not recognize the sovereignty of Kosovo. The country, on Google Maps, has the border with Serbia marked with dashed lines. Google is an American multinational technology company that focuses on search engine technology, online advertising, computer software, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics.
In a written response to REL, this company says that "disputed territories" mark them in this form.
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“In line with our broad geopolitical policies, we objectively display contested territories on Google Maps by consulting data from a wide range of global cartographic authorities. When the borders are contested, we mark them with a dashed gray line", said Gabriela Chiorean, from the communications office of the Google company.
Kosovo does not even have access to PayPal - the world's largest platform for online payments - although according to the Statistics Agency of Kosovo for the year 2021, the use of the Internet to buy or order goods and services over the Internet was used by 23.1 percent of internet users.
The International Trade Administration of the United States of America says that Kosovo has a high level of internet penetration, but electronic commerce is still in its early stages. Because of COVID-19, they explain that more companies in Kosovo have started experimenting with e-commerce or internet business.
"Banks and utilities offer online options and Kosovo follows EU standards for electronic commerce and consumer protection. Most online purchases are made through EU and US retailers, payment methods include e-banking, credit cards and cash on delivery. PayPal and Payoneer are not available in Kosovo, but some users find alternative ways through neighboring countries", states the publication of the US International Trade Administration.
In Kosovo, the music and audio on Instagram do not work either. This is because the platform may not yet have received the music license for a specific region, in this case Kosovo. Instagram needs a license to play music to avoid violating copyright or Anti-Piracy Law.
Kosovo's first and only victory in digital recognition seems to have been exactly 10 years ago, when Facebook recognized it as a state. This recognition changed the way citizens and businesses began to define the audience based on the territory, targeting the audience where they want to advertise their products.
"The state of digital diplomacy and recognition of Kosovo on the Internet is challenging", says Liza Gashi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo.
"Based on this part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the first time, this year, has created a department for public diplomacy, within which it has digital diplomacy as a division, as a result of the reform that is taking place in this institution" , she adds.
According to her, one of the priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2023 is the finalization of the strategy for public diplomacy "with a focus on the digital and civic part".
"Last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a number of workshops and consultations with the main stakeholders in Kosovo, in order to develop a mechanism that will increase the appearance of Kosovo in the digital sphere, as well as advocate that citizens and businesses in Kosovo they enjoy full access and services from big companies", says Gashi.
From the Kosovo Center for Innovation (ICK), they say that Kosovo has a lag in digital diplomacy.
"We have been stuck, especially in recent years when we would have had to have an even higher commitment in this direction. It is universally known the need to have a presence on all platforms and to be known as Kosovo, not only for the political part, but also for the practical and economic part", says Uranik Begu, head of this center.
He says that considering that a large number of Kosovo citizens already work in the biggest global brands, Kosovo has opportunities for a greater mobilization in this direction.
Even according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, beyond the commitment of the state and the diplomatic corps, the focus has been placed on the role played by citizens inside and outside the country.
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"We believe a lot in the role of the diplomatic citizen and in the role of citizens 'online' or otherwise 'netizens', when we talk about promoting the image of Kosovo", says Gashi.
Kosovo does not even have its own domain, and because of this it has no digital footprint. A domain is a top-level code on the Internet that is generally used or reserved for a country, sovereign state, or independent territory.
Government websites are registered under the (.net) domain, while portals and other websites are under the (.com) domain. Unlike Kosovo, the states of the region have their own domains. Albania is with the state domain (.al), North Macedonia with the domain (.mk), Montenegro (.me) and Seriba (.rs).
None of the countries in the region face online anonymity.
Kosovars are intensive Internet users. According to the Statistics Agency of Kosovo in 2021, the Internet is spread over almost 100 percent of the territory of Kosovo.
Statistics show that individuals aged 16-74, representing 95 percent of the population of Kosovo, use the Internet, while only 2.5 percent of individuals have declared that they have never used the Internet.
In 2021, 96.1 percent of households in Kosovo had access to the Internet from their homes, from any device, while 2.1 percent of households declared that they did not have access to the Internet from any type of device.
Access to the Internet has mainly been by mobile phone.
When a person registers in an online marketplace, he must set the country from which he is connecting. In the case of Kosovo, many platforms do not even offer this country as a selection in their list.
Kosovo citizens have traditionally, when ordering something online, had to register themselves as citizens of Serbia or Albania, and then indicate their place of residence by adding the full address through the city.
Recently, they have started using VPN, a possibility of changing the internet address. A VPN is a service that enables you to hide your online location. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and the Internet, providing a "private tunnel."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that last year, "a number of workshops and consultations were held with the main stakeholders in Kosovo, to develop a mechanism that will increase the appearance of Kosovo in the digital sphere, as well as advocate that citizens and businesses in Kosovo to enjoy full access and services from large companies".
"In the past, we have had several initiatives from citizens, organizations, and even from previous governments. For example, the inclusion of Kosovo in 'Apple Maps'. This campaign, which received around 200.000 signatures, was the best example of these initiatives, but our focus is on choosing the permanent ISO code and in this direction we are working on advocacy to the competent international bodies", says Deputy Minister Gashi.
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It is important for a country to be recognized on digital platforms because it allows the government and citizens of that country to communicate and do business online, facilitates access to information and services, and helps promote economic development and political stability.
Furthermore, online recognition creates identity and can help improve transparency and accountability. /REL
