Russia: Online Fundraising Changes Transparency Standards in Politics · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Oleg Kozyrev, popular Russian blogger, writes [ru] about the effects of online fundraising (this year online opposition activists had fundraised nearly $230,000): 1. it improves transparency standards of opposition politicians, thus making them resistant to corruption allegations and criminal cases, 2. it brings activists closer to their supporters, 3. it makes activists more dependent on public opinion, since they're sponsored by the people and not ‘narrow political groups.’