Bulgaria considers social media restrictions for minors after Plovdiv murder

Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has announced that authorities are considering potential restrictions on social media access for minors following a brutal murder in Plovdiv. The incident, involving the death of Georgi Kuzev at Mladezhki Hill, has prompted the Cybercrime Department of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GD BOP) to actively monitor social networks for aggression and threats.

Ten individuals have been detained in connection with the case, with five minors currently facing charges for their roles in the assault. A Plovdiv court has ordered these five suspects to remain in custody, describing their actions as ‘inhumane’.

Demerdzhiev emphasized that while the Ministry of Interior is working to identify individuals with similar profiles, law enforcement cannot replace the roles of the education system or family upbringing. He also addressed the rise of self-appointed ‘pedophile hunters’ on social media, stating that vigilantism is unacceptable and urging citizens to report any evidence of illegal activity directly to the police instead of taking matters into their own hands.