I am a researcher based in Dublin, Ireland. I study protest, digital media and internet freedom in Eastern Europe and beyond.
Latest posts by Tanya Lokot
Ahead of September elections, Russia tightens grip on remaining online freedoms
Ahead of Russia's parliamentary elections on September 17-19, the state's crackdown on opposition groups, circumvention tools and internet infrastructure has escalated to a fever pitch.
Investigative journalism group OCCRP says it will no longer work in Russia
Drew Sullivan, OCCRP's co-founder and editor-in-chief, said their work in Russia at the moment would do local reporters "more harm than good."
Russian court issues bigger fines to social media companies for breaching data localization rules
The data localization law, adopted in 2015, requires all internet companies processing Russian users' data to store such data on servers physically located inside Russia.
Blogger gets prison sentence for branding Kazakhstan's language policies “russophobic”
According to Taichimbekov, the Kazakh state has been "sourcing Russian individuals who speak out in favor of banning Russian television, banning Russian language, excluding it from the Constitution."
More independent media added to Russia's “foreign agent” roster
"As for the list of foreign agents, by now it has so many decent people and publications on it that not to be on this list is simply indecent."
Belarus court labels independent media outlets Tut.by, Zerkalo.io as ‘extremist’
The ruling applies to every single piece of content on the Tut.by and Zerkalo.io websites, as well as to all content posted on their social media channels.
Russian internet censor blocks Team Navalny websites
Navalny's main website, navalny.com, as well as over 40 other webpages for Navalny's national network of campaign offices were added to Roskomnadzor's state registry for blocked websites.
Team 29, Russia's most prominent legal defense group, shuts down under state pressure
On July 19, after its website was blocked, Team 29 announced it was shutting down its operations in order to protect its staff and clients from possible criminal prosecution.
State escalates attacks on media freedom and civil society in Belarus
Since the start of July, dozens of civil society organisations and independent media outlets in Belarus have faced law enforcement raids, searches and staff detentions.
Top Belarusian media website removes social media posts to protect employees
Tut.by editors removed virtually all of the content published on most of their social media channels in 2020 and the first half of 2021, at the height of the post-election...
Organiser of online map protest in Russia fined for crowdsourced obscenities
Unlike street protests, which require prior authorisation from local authorities, online rallies aren't technically subject to the same restrictions.
New report highlights ongoing pressure on Ukrainian activists and rights defenders
In the first quarter of 2021, physical attacks, destruction or damage to activists’ property, and attempted intimidation of human rights defenders were the most common, in addition to digital threats.
Belarus grounds Ryanair flight, detains independent journalist amid regime's crackdown on media
Pratasevich was formerly an administrator of NEXTA-Live, the Telegram channel covering the anti-government protests in Belarus. He is currently editor-in-chief of Belarus Golovnogo Mozga, another independent media outlet.
Facebook removes Ukrainian pro-government and opposition networks for ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’
Two different networks combined fake and authentic Facebook accounts and pages to push a mix of legitimate and manipulative content, COVID-19 satire, and political memes to Ukrainian audiences.
Russian authorities crack down on student journalism outlet over protest explainer video
Supporters of DOXA journal have called the charges against its editors "preposterous" and demanded that "all harassment of students immediately cease."
European Court backs Ukrainian journalist's right to phone data privacy from the state
Natalia Sedletska has been waging a three-year battle to protect her phone data from being seized by Ukrainian prosecutors investigating a state secrets leak that occurred almost four years ago.
Israeli phone hacking firm stops sales to Belarus and Russia
Cellebrite, an Israeli software company known for making tools used to extract data from smartphones, has announced it will halt sales to Russian and Belarus state bodies and law enforcement.
Twitter could be fully blocked in Russia within the next month
Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor says it is prepared to block Twitter completely if the platform continues to ignore its requests to take down content flagged as illegal.
Bloggers, journalists and creatives in the crosshairs of the Belarusian state
As the space for free expression in Belarus narrows, many journalists and artists who covered the protests are awaiting trial.
New Russian law demands self-censorship from social media platforms
Experts believe that the most likely reason for the new self-censorship legislation is the state's desire to curtail the growing discontent and protest activity in the country.
