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Stories from RuNet Echo
17 February 2019
Russian public sector workers ordered to ‘like’ social media posts promoting the 2019 Winter Universiade
This is not the first instance of Russian public officials acting as "human bots" to promote the government's agenda online.
3 February 2019
Russian ‘anti-fake news’ bill rushed through parliament despite vocal opposition
Both the "anti-fake news" bill and its twin initiative against offending the authorities use Germany and other Western countries' laws as inspiration.
14 December 2018
Russian reporter who faked his own murder named a ‘person of the year’ by TIME magazine
TIME ignored the murder of three journalists while including a staged one. Why couldn’t both be included?
6 December 2018
New internet laws in Russia — and US tech giants’ acquiescence — spell trouble for dissenting voices
These new laws and rules, along with other laws regulating the collection of online user data, makes it difficult to use online platforms to voice discontent in Russia.
27 November 2018
Russian rapper arrested and unexpectedly released after alleged Kremlin intervention
Husky is no liberal minstrel, but fellow rappers rushed to his support when he was arrested. Then a state TV executive bragged about the Kremlin's efforts to release him.
9 November 2018
Russia’s most progressive media outlet finds itself on the wrong side of #MeToo
Kolpakov is the first-ever man to publicly resign over sexual assault accusations in Russia. And he's a #metoo supporter.
5 November 2018
Suicide attack against Russia's domestic intelligence agency spells more trouble for activists
A suicide bomber's attack against a local intelligence agency's office in Russia, allegedly an extreme reaction to violent persecution of leftist activists, generates yet more trouble for the latter.
26 October 2018
Death by bureaucracy? Russian regulators slap independent news site with sky-high fine
"It obviously means bankruptcy and imminent closure for the magazine."
18 October 2018
Six red carnations and one severed ram’s head: Deadly threats sent to Russian independent newspaper
The recipient of these grisly messages, the independent investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta, holds the record for the most of its reporters murdered on the job: six, including Anna Politkovskaya.
25 September 2018
Chat bot lets Russians detained at protests request legal assistance
A Russian NGO tracking police brutality developed a chatbot on the popular Telegram messenger that allows people detained at rallies report their arrests and request legal assistance.
8 September 2018
Google caves in to Russian demands, censors videos promoting a protest rally
This latest scandal is unfolding as Google is in the middle of an existential crisis, with its employees revolting against what they see as embracing censorship by their company.
30 August 2018
Is Russian social media giant VKontakte sidestepping the GDPR? One user is trying to find out.
Russia's largest social network VKontakte is in hot water again for playing fast and loose with their users' privacy — this time allegedly violating the GDPR regulations.
24 August 2018
Russian social media giant evades hard questions about privacy failures
One user challenged Vkontakte: "How many times have you challenged the security services in court over their demands to hand over user information? You have that right."
9 August 2018
Russians are facing criminal prosecution for sharing memes online, thanks to anti-extremism laws
Repressive laws and cumbersome bureaucracy are putting hundreds of Russians behind bars for sharing memes online.
31 July 2018
Russian journalists killed in Central African Republic
Three Russian journalists were killed today in Central African Republic, at a checkpoint outside the country’s capital Bangui.
16 July 2018
World Cup out, pension reform protests in: Russia's economic woes take the front seat again
"Football is just a ball, a game. Pensions and taxes are our life. While you're playing with the ball, the thief is emptying your pockets… Keep playing the ball."
30 June 2018
The dark side of World Cup fun in Russia: Online mobs are bullying women getting ‘too friendly’ with foreigners
The World Cup euphoria will fade in a few weeks, but hard questions about women's rights in Russia are still lingering, it seems.
17 June 2018
Russians thrilled by World Cup's kick off, despite looming pension and tax reforms
With the effect of soft power on display for the rest of the world to see, how have Russians been reacting to the influx of large, eager crowds of foreigners?
11 June 2018
Russian journalist forced to resign for criticizing pro-Putin propaganda on Instagram
"We wish the Earth could live in peace, but if our commander in chief Beckons to fight the final battle, we are with you, Uncle Vova!"
31 May 2018
Ukrainian authorities stage journalist's murder, taking ‘fake news’ to the next level
"The lesson here is to distrust reports from Ukraine."
About our RuNet Echo coverage
Alexey Kovalev is the RuNet Echo editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
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