"Does anyone know the name of the provocateur and attacker of the students of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts?" wrote an X user on November 22, 2024, immediately after the incident, along with two photos of a man in a black jacket.
The very first comment contained his alleged name, information about where he lives and works, and the claim that he is a member of the Voždovac branch of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
"Long live the internet," the message ends.
FDU students blocked the faculty a few days later, and were soon joined by colleagues from across the country, demanding accountability for the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of a canopy in Novi Sad.
One of their demands is that all attackers of students be identified and brought to justice.
The procedure for the attack on FDU students is ongoing, and one of the defendants has been pleaded guilty.
Among the accused is Milija Koldžić, at the time member of the council of the City Municipality of New Belgrade from the ranks of the SNS, which, according to media reports, later resigned, while the prosecutor's decision not to prosecute Aleksandar Jokić, in the meantime seen accompanying the president Aleksandar Vučić, complaint filed.
"The people against whom criminal charges were filed were identified thanks to social media - everyone wrote information they knew about them," Kruna Savović, a lawyer representing the FDU students in the case, told BBC Serbian.
Such posts on social media often begin or end with the same call - "let's make him/her/them famous".
They are most often on X, where information spreads the fastest, says Strahinja Ćalović, a social media expert.
They are also on Facebook, while there is a profile on Instagram dedicated solely to this activity, he adds.
"They post a photo, ask others, 'Hey, guys, who is this?' and within a few minutes you know everything."
"It happened before, but sporadically, it wasn't a trend like it is now," Ćalović explains to BBC Serbian.
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Marinika Tepić, an MP from the opposition Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), often posts information and videos on social media of people she claims are connected to government affairs.
"The police and prosecutor's office are not doing their job, so citizens have started identifying people themselves," Tepić tells BBC Serbian.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs had not responded to BBC questions about the "let's make them famous" trend by the time the text was published.
Neither Interior Minister Ivica Dačić nor Belgrade Police Chief Veselin Milić responded to requests for comment.
"This practice, although often guided by the idea of public interest, essentially bypasses institutional mechanisms and threatens the rights of all actors - both those who film and those who are filmed," says Nenad Ljubišić, president of the Professional Police Association.Dr. Archibald Raj", for the BBC in Serbian.
However, he understands that "among citizens there is a degree of distrust in institutions and the police."
"According to our recent survey, more than two-thirds of respondents - in a sample of around 2.300 people - do not trust the police, while 42 percent believe that the police mostly protect the interests of political parties," says Ljubišić.
Watch the video: A piercing roar, fear and a break in the silence - what we know about the incident at the protest in Belgrade on March 15th
About 'let's make them famous'
The trend became particularly relevant when incidents at student protests began, says Ćalović.
"Primarily the running over of students, when many urgently tried to find out who was behind the wheel," he adds.
A student was seriously injured on January 16th in Belgrade when she was hit by a car during a blockade of an intersection.
A similar incident occurred on January 24th.
The footage spread online, followed by a series of photos of the woman who was allegedly behind the wheel on January 24, with calls to share her personal information.
It is against her in the meantime Indicted for attempted aggravated murder, while the man allegedly responsible for the first incident investigation is underway - and for the same criminal offense.
"Digital technologies allow anyone to be identified very easily and quickly," Dalibor Petrović, a sociologist who works in the digital sphere, tells BBC Serbian.
"A few years ago, there was a trend among young people to post a picture of a guy or girl they saw in the city on social media and invite people to help them find the person."
This practice, he says, is also used in the case of "let's make them famous."
The second level is that we all function by seeking some kind of community approval, says Petrović.
"In the age of social media, many people use the method of publicly shaming those they believe are not behaving correctly, thereby sending a message to anyone who does the same that they will also suffer the same fate," he explains.
Ahead of the student protest in Belgrade on March 15, when a group calling itself "Students 2.0" set up camp in a downtown park, demanding an end to the blockades and the return of students to universities, this unofficial campaign took over social media.
Watch the video: Why "Students 2.0" are protesting in front of the Presidency of Serbia
Apart from student Miloš Pavlović, one of the group's leaders who had previously spoken at the Serbian Progressive Party rally, the protesters from Pionirski Park mostly did not want to talk to the media.
Many were hiding behind hoods and masks.
However, on social media, some of them were allegedly identified through the "let's make them famous" campaign, with frequent claims that they were not students at all.
'About Twitter Police' and the police
"They beat up students in Novi Sad last night," she wrote on January 28th on X Marinika Tepić, with a photo of the men she claims are responsible.
A series of comments followed, including "let's make them famous," but also claims from those who recognize them.
Four men, who had previously left the SNS premises, were arrested for the attack, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević.
Suspected of criminal acts violent behavior and causing serious bodily harm.
"A long time ago, seven or eight years ago, while I was still living in Pančevo, I started publishing information about local beaters," Tepić tells BBC Serbian.
He claims that the government "has mobile units in every city and municipality to intimidate citizens and secure votes."
"For a long time, the locals knew who was holding and organizing them, but nothing happened."
"Since state institutions are not working, the police are turning a blind eye, and numerous cases of beatings, threats and blackmailing people for supporting the opposition and criticizing the regime have no end, people have started to publish their names themselves," Tepić assesses.
For Ljubišić, who emphasizes that he "cannot speak on behalf of the Ministry of Interior," the "let's make them famous" trend speaks of "a growing crisis of trust between citizens and the police, year after year."
"This is not a new phenomenon, it is a problem that has been going on for decades and which, unfortunately, has not been a priority for those who make decisions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs," he says.
The association he leads also conducted a special survey among more than 1.800 police officers from all over Serbia.
"The results show that the situation within the system is no better either - as many as 46 percent said they did not trust their immediate management, while only 20 percent trusted their superiors."
"It is particularly worrying that more than 70 percent of respondents stated that they were exposed to political pressure, and that 58 percent believe that professional standards in the police have noticeably declined in recent times," Ljubišić said.
The data speaks to the need for reforms within the police, Ljubišić believes, but he doubts that "the political will for this will emerge in the near future."
How to restore trust?
"We need transparent police work, training, modernization, and respect for legal norms... With a little determination, the situation could be improved," he responds.
"It is in everyone's interest, both citizens and police officers, to have a police force that inspires trust, works professionally and serves everyone, not political structures."
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The technology behind the campaign
Written by: Lazar Covs, BBC data journalist
Finding someone via the internet and social media sometimes doesn't require the "everyone knows someone, who knows someone" method - if you're tech-savvy.
For example, facial recognition technology.
You know when we post a photo on Facebook and immediately get a suggestion to tag a friend who's in it.
Recognition technology, which enables identification based on unique facial characteristics, is increasingly used in the modern world.
We can unlock our phones and confirm bill payments with our faces, and they can even recognize us in our misdeeds based on a single photo.
How?
- Face detection - The system analyzes an image or video to find a face. Face detection algorithms use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify facial features, eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Analysis of characteristics - After detection, the software "measures" and analyzes key facial features, such as the distance between the eyes, the shape of the cheekbones, and the jawline. This information is converted into a numerical code known as a "faceprint" - a digital fingerprint of the face
- Comparison with database - The created faceprint is compared with images in the database. If there is a match, the system can find the person
- Authentication or identification - If the system is used for identity verification, for example, unlocking a phone, only one comparison with a pre-registered face is needed. In the case of identification, for example, from a surveillance camera, the algorithm searches a wider database to find a possible match
Where is it used?
- Security and surveillance - Police and government agencies in some countries use this technology to identify suspects and monitor security in public places
- Smart devices - Many smartphones use facial recognition to unlock the screen and authenticate users
- Airports and border crossings - At some airports, passengers can be identified more quickly thanks to automated systems that use biometric data.
- Social media - Large companies use the abundance of data we feed them to recognize where we go and what our habits are, and sell this data for advertising purposes
Despite some advantages, the unfettered use of this technology worries many due to privacy concerns and possible abuses.
Critics warn of the possibility of mass surveillance, the system's inaccuracy, and discrimination when identifying some ethnic groups.
That's why many countries are introducing regulations to limit the use of this technology and ensure responsible handling of this data.
Although facial recognition is now an indispensable part of the modern digital world, the fine balance between security and privacy can be disrupted every day.
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What does the law say?
Personal data in Serbia is protected by law.
Depending on the circumstances, the Personal Data Protection Act may be violated by "let's make it known" posts.
In the case of public gatherings, the situation is more complex.
"Publishing photographs of those participating in a public gathering is permitted and their consent is not required," Milena Vasić from the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (Jukom) tells BBC Serbian.
However, this does not mean that the right to privacy of those gathered is lost and one should be careful.
If false information is spread against someone, there is a risk of defamation, and consequently, a lawsuit.
"The 'make them famous' action can also be seen as a form of civil disobedience, that is, a very conscious violation of the law in order to achieve a goal that outweighs the right to honor and reputation of an individual," Vasić concludes.
"And that is satisfying the public interest."
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