Stories from RuNet Echo from January, 2016
New Ukrainian Draft Bill Seeks Extrajudicial Blocking for Websites Violating Copyright
A new bill in the Ukrainian parliament wants to replace the common pre-court notice and takedown procedure for copyright violations online with a faster blocking mechanism bypassing the courts.
Russian Internet Users Turn to TV for News, But Trust Online Sources More, Study Finds
37 percent of Russian Internet users believe Russian television and online media report on news in the same way, while an equal 37 percent argue the coverage differs significantly.
Deus Ex Putina
According to a Russian news site and a whole lot of bloggers, Vladimir Putin’s ex-wife, Lyudmila, has remarried. The RuNet also thinks it's found her Facebook account.
The Russian Government ‘Embraces’ Transparency
Russia is finally embracing transparency—so long as it poses no threat to political stability, writes Andrei Jvirblis in this openDemocracy Russia overview of the Kremlin's open government efforts.
Salt and Loathing in St. Petersburg
What has in the past helped defeat French legions and German divisions is also an ordinary concern for Russians. Usually, there's little cause for celebration, when considering the Russian winter.
The Only Hero in Russia Who Isn't Named Putin
While Ramzan Kadyrov isn’t Russia’s president, he is far more than a mere regional figure, and the past few weeks have offered only the latest evidence of his “talents.”
Russian LGBT Activist Fined for ‘Propaganda of Homosexuality’ Online
LGBT activist Sergey Alekseenko was accused of "gay propaganda" after posting a quote from a state regulator's report describing another LGBT community on social media.
First Russian Pastafarian Gets Driver's License Photo Wearing A Colander
Russian Pastafarians are celebrating: for the first time, an adherent of the religion managed to get his driver's license photo taken wearing a pasta strainer—Pastafarians' obligatory headgear.
Ukraine Plans Cyber Security Review After ‘Russian’ Attack on Key Airport
A Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesman said the recent cyber attack on Boryspil airport in Kyiv had originated from servers in Russia.
Russian Blogger Shipilov Granted Political Asylum in Ukraine
Dmitry Shipilov, a Russian journalist and blogger sentenced to community service for insulting the governor of Kemerovo region on his blog, has been granted political asylum in Ukraine.
Arrrrrr! Putin's New Internet Advisor Tied to Online Piracy
Vladimir Putin's new Internet advisor is known as a hardliner against foreign online resources that break Russian law. Now German Klimenko has been tied to a questionable torrent tracker.
Russian Study Finds that One in Nine Duma Deputies Is an Academic Phony
Dissernet's investigation of dissertation texts found that one in nine lawmakers in the Russian State Duma has plagiarized content in their thesis, raising suspicion about their academic degrees.
Miss Me? Witty Hackers Put Sherlock Villain Moriarty on Kyiv Subway Screens
Social media users in Ukraine's capital Kyiv posted multiple images showing the ad screens in the subway taken over by a picture of smiling Moriarty from the BBC Sherlock series.
Triangulating Sources to Thin the Fog of War
Even with the flood of information created and made accessible by the Internet, the fog of war is still thick. But it's not impenetrable.
Ukrainian Separatists Block 100+ News Websites in ‘Lugansk People’s Republic’
News websites in the self-proclaimed "Lugansk People's Republic" are being censored as separatist authorities seek to minimize the "destabilizing" influence of the Ukrainian media.
How Sharing Porn Became a Felony in Russia
While ordinary Internet users in Russia today still have no problem finding adult content, police have begun cracking down on individuals who share porn on social media and peer-to-peer networks.
Who Protects the Rights of Russian Internet Users? Not These Guys.
Russia's Internet ombudsman and Putin's new Internet advisor believe they have no business defending the rights of Internet users in Russia.
‘Russian Ebola': Civic Project Tracks Russians’ Deaths in Police Custody
Almost every day, Russians die in police custody, often under mysterious circumstances. An online project called "Russian Ebola" is recording each death to raise awareness of the human rights issue.
Russian Hackers Behind Attack on Ukraine's Power Grid, Researchers Claim
US cybersecurity experts claim the December cyber-attack that led to a temporary outage of the power grid in western Ukraine is the work of Russian hacker collective the Sandworm Team.
Social Media Users Get Creative in Response to Ukrainian President's Fake Magazine Cover
When Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko decided to tweet a doctored cover of The Economist magazine with his face replacing Putin's, he got some image editing help from social media users.
Turkish Hackers Claim Credit for Hijacking Top Russian Official's Instagram
Hackers identifying themselves as Turkish took control of the Russian communications minister's Instagram account earlier today, posting a dozen images depicting Turkish patriotism and falling aircraft.
