TIRANA, June 25 /ATA/ The Chair of AMA, Armela Krasniqi, took part in a roundtable discussion titled “Digital Platforms and the Governance of Online Media in Albania,” organized in Tirana by UNESCO.
Expressing appreciation for UNESCO’s efforts in spearheading the global discourse on digital platform governance, AMA Chair Armela Krasniqi emphasized the authority’s role in bridging traditional broadcast regulation with the evolving challenges of the digital audiovisual landscape. She also underscored AMA’s capacity to contribute to the development of legal frameworks in the audio and audiovisual fields through its regulatory expertise, institutional insight, and professional experience.
“Today, regulators, the media, and the public alike find themselves in a constantly shifting media landscape where the influence of digital platforms poses new challenges to information integrity, freedom of expression, and even to the oversight, self-regulation, or co-regulation of this environment.
“The first steps have already been taken: we now have the Digital Services Act and the European Media Freedom Act, which set fresh standards on national approaches to governing digital platforms. These landmark acts help us not only with regulation but also with alignment with European standards and reaffirming our commitment to pluralism and media independence.”
At the end of last year, following a consultation process, AMA approved a regulation titled “On the Specific Requirements that Providers of Video-Sharing Platforms Must Fulfill for the Establishment and Provision of Transparent, Effective, and User-Friendly Systems.”
This regulation specifically addresses the legal framework governing video-sharing platforms and aims to regulate the general conditions under which audiovisual content is provided by users on these platforms. It does not apply to support services for audiovisual broadcasts, which are primarily intended to offer programming for information, entertainment, or education.
“This initial step of drafting, consulting, and approving this important bylaw reflects our commitment and readiness to regulate new forms of content distribution,” Krasniqi added. “This alignment process not only enhances regulatory standards domestically but also supports the integration of the Albanian media market into the European landscape.”
The recent amendments to the law “On Audiovisual Media in the Republic of Albania” go beyond the regulation of video-sharing platforms and also address other key aspects such as the introduction of co-regulation and self-regulation in the development of codes of conduct, media literacy, and media ownership transparency.
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