Bosnia lacks protections against foreign surveillance software, expert warns

Salkic pointed specifically to Palantir, a US-based company whose AI-driven software is capable of aggregating and linking personal, communication, and behavioural data to construct a digital profile of individuals, without their knowledge, in mere seconds. The software has already been deployed in several German states, where it has triggered constitutional complaints and public backlash from privacy advocates.

“This kind of capability presents a serious risk to human rights and democratic oversight”, Salkic warned, emphasising that Bosnia and Herzegovina currently has no legal or institutional barriers to prevent such technologies from being introduced without public debate or parliamentary control.

Political and ethnic misuse a real risk

Given the complex structure of Bosnia’s security and information systems, Salkic cautioned that surveillance tools like Palantir could be exploited for unlawful monitoring of citizens, including politically, ethnically, or financially motivated targeting.

“BiH faces a real danger that these tools could be misused by powerful actors in ways that undermine democracy and further polarise the country,” he said.

He also noted the absence of protections against foreign surveillance systems being introduced through “donations, externally funded projects, or non-transparent procurements,” which could severely compromise both citizen privacy and the country’s digital independence.

Urgent reforms proposed

Salkic proposed a three-point strategy to address the threat:

1. Enact legislation banning foreign surveillance software without parliamentary oversight.
2. Strengthen the Personal Data Protection Agency of BiH as an independent regulatory body.
3. Develop domestic or EU-based surveillance solutions under full state control.

“If we don’t act now, Bosnia and Herzegovina risks becoming a testing ground for foreign surveillance systems. Digital security is a matter of sovereignty, not just technology,” Salkic concluded.