Latest posts by Tanya Lokot
Government Takedown Requests from Russia Double, Facebook Reports
Facebook restricted access to 55 pieces of content in Russia since July 2014, based on requests from Russian authorities, compared to 29 fulfilled during the first half of 2014.
Roscomnadzor Threatens Complete Block of RuNet Encyclopedia
Russian telecom watchdog Roscomnadzor wants to block pages about "drugs and child porn" on RuNet culture encyclopedia Lurkmore.ru, but will instead block the entire website, because it uses https encryption.
Blogger Law Violations Go Unpunished in Russia
Since the infamous 'blogger law' came into power in Russia seven months ago, Roscomnadzor documented 67 violations, but not a single blogger has been punished for swearing or religious offenses.
Belarus Bans Tor and Other Anonymizers
Belarus is banning anonymizers, typically used to circumvent government censorship and reach online resources banned inside the country, including many of the opposition websites.
In Putin's Russia, a Retweet Can Lead to a Jail Term
Even a retweet of an image or a republished post may cost Russian citizens unfettered access to the Internet—and often, their freedom.
Twitter's New Transparency Report Shows Massive Spike in Demands from Russia
"We went from having never received a request to receiving more than 100 requests for account information. We did not provide information in response to any," Twitter's report says.
Stop the Music: Spotify Cancels Launch in Russia
Spotify is leaving Russia in response to the economic crisis, the political situation, and the draconian Internet laws.
Russia Investigates VKontakte User for Posting Ukraine-Related Content
Russian authorities are investigating a Yekaterinburg woman on charges of "inciting hatred and violence" for posting links to content about Ukrainian Euromaidan protests on the social network VKontakte.
New Protest Facebook Page Already in Place as Kremlin Moves Navalny Verdict Forward
As thousands of Russians joined a January 15 protest against the verdict in the trial of opposition leader Navalny, the court suddenly moved the verdict announcement to tomorrow, December 30.
Navalny Protest Rally Facebook Event Page Blocked in Russia
Just one day after supporters of Putin critic Alexey Navalny set up a Facebook event page for a protest rally in his support, the page has been blocked in Russia.
The Russian Internet is Not Free. A New Tax Might Make it Even Worse.
The Russian government is now considering its own variant of an Internet tax, and wants to make all Russian Internet users pay for consuming copyrighted content online.
A New Filtering System Could Slow Down RuNet. And Then There's the Censorship
Internet filtering at ISP level might become reality in Russia by the end of 2014. This would slow down Internet speeds and introduce more surveillance and censorship in the RuNet.
Facebook Weighs In on the Ukraine-Russia Takedown Dispute
RuNet Echo talks with Facebook about content takedowns, community standards, and the social media war in Ukraine, where users on all sides resort to desperate measures.
This Russian Lawmaker Thinks the US Can Take Russia Off The Internet
A deputy in the Russian parliament thinks the United States might cut off Russia's internet and suggests Russians take measures to get ready for the information blackout.
Ukraine Asks Facebook’s Zuckerberg to Discipline Kremlin Bots
Ukrainian Facebook users have complained to Mark Zuckerberg himself that their accounts are being blocked on the site in droves—and they're blaming the Kremlin's bot army.
Will Russia Start Blocking Websites in Real Time?
Already plagued by Roskomnadzor blacklists, blogger registration, and the blocking of Twitter accounts, a Russian organization now wants to introduce real-time filtering of online content.
Ukrainian Journalists Take Regime's Corruption Public With YanukovychLeaks
A team of Kyiv-based journalists discovered a plethora of damaged legal, financial and other documents on former President Yanukovych's property, salvaged them and are releasing them on a new website.
