Abstract
<jats:p>Civil society organizations, journalists, and human rights defenders across the Western Balkans and European Union (EU) are operating in a digital environment defined by raising threats and inadequate protection. This analysis presents findings from a needs assessment survey conducted within the “Defending Digital Freedoms: Strengthening Civil Society Resilience against Digital Repression in Europe” project, gathering 239 responses from 11 countries (six Western Balkan and five EU member states). The findings reveal a threat landscape shaped by surveillance, phishing, platform-based harassment, and account compromise, with confirmed and suspected spyware deployments in Serbia, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Greece, and Spain. Digital repression intensifies predictably during elections, protests, and publishing of investigative stories, yet most organizations lack the capacity to respond effectively. While foundational security measures are increasingly common, advanced practices and organizational protocols remain rare. Access to digital forensic support is limited and largely unknown to those who need it most. Beyond the technical gaps, system is largely failing; legal remedies are widely perceived as weak or non-existent, institutional responses are slow and inconsistent, and organizational cooperation is underdeveloped. The most urgent needs are digital security training, affordable forensic services, trusted expert access, and dedicated funding, needs that cut across both regions, but are particularly acute in the Western Balkans. The analysis provides cross-country evidence base for coordinated action by civil society networks, donors, national institutions, and digital platforms committed to protecting civic space in an increasingly hostile digital environment.</jats:p>