Stories about Eastern & Central Europe
Access the Unfreedom Monitor database
The Unfreedom Monitor is an Advox initiative to deepen our understanding of the relationship between technology and authoritarian power. In the first phase of this project, researchers working in 11 countries and four key themes conducted analysis of incidents, narratives, and media items, to explain acts of digital authoritarianism and...
Disinformation 2.0: Should we bring the notion of propaganda back into public discourse?
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the unintentional spread of disinformation added a burden on health services when the rise of conspiracies was evident beyond the anti-vaccination movement.
In Russia's invasion of Ukraine, cyberwarfare is a decisive element of the battlefield
The information war in Ukraine has only just started but already citizens on both sides are saturated by their government’s propaganda and left without balanced information.
Podcast: The state of press freedom
This week, we head to China, India, Colombia, Indonesia and Serbia to hear from journalists and researchers about what challenges the media faces in those countries.
For acclaimed journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, winning a Nobel Peace Prize offers no protection
For Filipino journalist Maria Ressa and Russian editor Dmitry Muratov, winning the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize has not provided protection from their attackers and state threats as they continue their investigations.
The Western Balkans will need unity and cooperation across society to overcome press freedom challenges
Independent media in the Western Balkans face disinformation campaigns, hate speech, physical attacks, threats, low income, poor economic status, divisions, self-censorship and job insecurity.
Ukrainians use VKontakte marketplaces to inform Russians about the war
“Do you have a receipt for this jacket, Anya?” Ukrainian VK users are searching for items stolen from Bucha in Rubtsovsk online groups.
How Russia makes laws to support networked authoritarianism
Russian lawmakers and government have created a sprawling web of new laws and amendments to police citizen activity and speech, pressure independent media and bring tech companies to heel.
European Court of Human Rights vindicates Macedonian journalists convicted of defamation
In 2014 and 2015, Focus journalists had to pay more than EUR 9,000 as damages to the former director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (ASC) Sašo Mijalkov for defamation and insult.
WAR IS WAR: Vkontakte users discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Given the likelihood that Russian social media API will be closed for further research, Global Voices investigated the opinions of VKontakte users on the Russian war with Ukraine.
Keeping fakes under control: how legislation on disinformation turns into a censorship tool
In some countries, the legislative initiatives that operate with the terms fake news and disinformation become the instruments of surveillance, the silencing of voices, and the fight against dissent.
The geopolitics of disinformation and cybersecurity in Europe
Political and private sector experts were warning the EU to take more precautions against the kind of Russian cyber-attacks unleashed on Ukraine, amid concern that Russia could use them in response to EU sanctions.
Bangladesh media accused of bias by Russia on Ukraine war coverage
The Russian ambassador to Bangladesh accused Bangladeshi media of taking a “biased approach” in their coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Bringing diversity to Chinese narratives on Ukraine: A Chinese blogger in Odessa
A Chinese businessman based in Odessa in Ukraine has turned into a blogger with his own anti-Russian invasion views, only to be censored and attacked on Chinese social media
Can Ukraine's internet sustain longer-term attacks and destruction from Russia?
In Ukraine, the internet has become the major front of defense against the Russian invasion. Many experts have been asking why Russia has not tried to destroy Ukraine’s internet infrastructure?
Russia’s cyberwarfare remains limited, while Ukraine is crowdsourcing its own
Since 2008, Russia has been lauded as a cyber superpower. In the past, Russian cyber attacks have taken out electric grids, hacked elections, bankrupted corporations, and disabled military infrastructure. Nations across the world have been bracing for increased levels of cyberattacks, fearing that Russia will retaliate against sanctions by infiltrating global...
Why have attempts to debunk Russian war propaganda on Weibo failed?
China relies on Russian propaganda as the main source of information on the Ukraine crisis. Censorship instruction forbids Sino-Russian antagonism and anti-war declaration. Love triangle analogy has gone viral.
How fascination with Russia’s power is created in the media and on social networks in North Macedonia
In North Macedonia, Russia’s military power is talked about in a way and in a quantity that cannot be found about any other country.
What does Russia's new “hostage-taking” law mean for social media companies?
The new law imposes new obligations on popular foreign websites and social media platforms with over half a million daily Russian users, asking them to register legal entities in Russia.
Court in Russia-occupied Crimea sentences freelance journalist to six years in prison
Vladyslav Yesypenko was detained in Crimea in March 2021 on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence, charges the journalist has denied. While in detention, has reportedly endured torture.
