Today, WB3C participated in a multisectoral roundtable on the “Protection of Children in the Digital Environment – A New Draft Law”, hosted by the Ulysseus European University – Innovation Hub for Cybersecurity at the University of Montenegro, led by Andreja Mihailovic, PhD in academic cooperation with the University of Genoa.
The discussion, opened by Prof. Dr. Savo Tomović and MP Slađana Kaludjerović, addressed the proposed Law on the Protection of Minors in the Digital Environment from multiple professional angles.

Our Senior Project Manager Vanja Madzgalj MBE noted that clearly this is an exceptionally complex regulatory space. 
On one hand, states face structural barriers: limited jurisdiction over very large digital platforms operating across borders, difficulties in enforcing obligations against global service providers and the technical opacity of algorithmic systems. On the other hand, children are digital natives with legitimate rights to access, participate in, and benefit from the digital world. Protection cannot mean exclusion.

⚡ At the same time, the data are stark.
We see increasing numbers of minors falling victim to digital crimes, including online sexual exploitation and abuse. We also see minors committing digital offences, often without understanding the legal consequences. Internet addiction is emerging at an early age, with long-term psychological and social impacts. Uncontrolled and unsupervised digital exposure is producing measurable harm.
The forum brought together ICT professionals, children’s rights organizations, parent associations, regulators, policymakers, and educators. 

There was broad agreement that:
Cross-border cooperation with EU regulators is essential, particularly in light of the Digital Services Act and emerging European enforcement mechanisms.
Parents and schools carry a critical share of responsibility.
Children’s rights — including access to information and digital participation — must be preserved alongside protection measures.
Clear criminalization of digital child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming, and manipulation of minors online is essential.
We also agreed that waiting for perfect solutions is not an option. We must start somewhere.
National awareness campaigns on digital risks, structured parental education, and early cybersecurity education in schools are foundational. Parents need greater support — and greater accountability. At the same time, targeted institutional regulation and enforceable legal provisions remain necessary, particularly in areas of exploitation, manipulation, and platform responsibility.
Protecting minors online is not a single-law issue. It is a societal, institutional, and technological challenge that requires coordinated national action and effective alignment with European regulatory frameworks. The complexity should not paralyze us — it should push us toward pragmatic, enforceable, and balanced solutions.

WB3C has launched a new edition of its four-day intensive OSINT training, bringing together police investigators and prosecutors from across the Western Balkans.
The participants were welcomed by Gilles Schwoerer, Head of WB3C, who underlined the importance of building coordinated investigative and prosecutorial responses to evolving digital threats. The training is delivered by WB3C’s in-house cybercrime expert, Cyril C., specializing in open-source intelligence (OSINT).
The programme focuses on practical, case-based learning to strengthen participants’ ability to collect, analyse and preserve digital evidence in line with legal standards. Through structured exercises, participants develop skills in advanced online searches, metadata analysis, secure data handling and safe navigation of the darknet environment.
By combining investigative techniques with prosecutorial perspectives, the training supports stronger end-to-end cooperation between police and justice actors — a critical factor in delivering prosecution-ready cybercrime cases.
Building sustainable regional capacity in open-source intelligence remains a key pillar of our work to enhance resilience against evolving digital threats.

Today, we hosted an EU delegation led by Zuzana Michalcova Sutiakova, Head of the Western Balkans Division at European External Action Service (EEAS), accompanied by representatives of the European Commission and the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.

The visit was a valuable opportunity to brief the EEAS on WB3C’s ongoing work across the region, supporting practical cooperation, strengthening cyber capabilities, and ensuring our activities remain closely aligned with the priorities that matter most for partners as they advance on the EU accession path.
We appreciate the open, concrete exchange and the continued engagement of EU institutions in helping the Western Balkans build resilient, secure digital systems, grounded in European standards and shared security interests.