I am a researcher based in Dublin, Ireland. I study protest, digital media and internet freedom in Eastern Europe and beyond.
Latest posts by Tanya Lokot
Israeli phone hacking firm stops sales to Belarus and Russia
Cellebrite, an Israeli software company known for making tools used to extract data from smartphones, has announced it will halt sales to Russian and Belarus state bodies and law enforcement.
Belarus banned from 2021 Eurovision contest for controversial song lyrics
The European Broadcasting Union found Belarus to be "in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute."
Ukrainian Central Election Commission official resigns after criticism over Facebook sex toys post
Anzhela Yeremenko faced a barrage of judgmental comments after blogging about a faulty vibrator on her personal Facebook page, igniting a discussion about the line between impropriety and professionalism.
Twitter could be fully blocked in Russia within the next month
Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor says it is prepared to block Twitter completely if the platform continues to ignore its requests to take down content flagged as illegal.
Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor throttles Twitter loading speeds
Twitter has a small audience in Russia, but more popular platforms such as Facebook and YouTube could also see slower loading speeds if they fail to address state takedown requests.
‘Pandemic Big Brother': Highlighting impact of COVID-19 restrictions on digital freedoms in Eastern Europe
Digital rights activists fear that digital surveillance has become so normalized during the pandemic that it may be hard to roll these measures back once it's over.
Bloggers, journalists and creatives in the crosshairs of the Belarusian state
As the space for free expression in Belarus narrows, many journalists and artists who covered the protests are awaiting trial.
New Russian law demands self-censorship from social media platforms
Experts believe that the most likely reason for the new self-censorship legislation is the state's desire to curtail the growing discontent and protest activity in the country.
Russian protesters rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny
Unusually large numbers of Russian citizens are protesting against the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny - on the street and on TikTok.
Online Petition Against Russia's Draconian Anti-Terror Laws Tops 100K Signatures
Those who signed the online petition expressed solidarity with Russian ISPs and mobile providers who say the Yarovaya laws will hurt both the Internet industry and the RuNet users.
Here's Why Google Maps Changed Some Town Names in Crimea—And Is Now Changing Them Back
As if by magic, Google Maps has changed some town names in Crimea overnight—but now the company says it will reverse the changes for the Russian version of Maps.
Russian Artists Reimagine Pokémon Go With Soviet Cartoon Characters
Love Soviet cartoons? These Russian artists reimagined the beloved characters as creatures in the Pokémon Go game. Gotta catch all the Cheburashkas!
#IAmNotAfraidToSayIt: Ukrainian Social Media Users Break the Silence on Sexual Violence
A Facebook hashtag started by a Ukrainian activist is overflowing with users sharing their stories and experiences of sexual harassment, sexual violence, and domestic violence.
Telegram Bug Leaks Russian TV News Station's Internal Chats to Random User
Telegram's known security flaws do not explain why Anna Gorbacheva, whose device never belonged to anyone associated with TV Rain, suddenly began receiving notifications of the team's private messages.
Belarusians Get Naked and Get to Work. (President's Orders.)
Belarusian Internet users have been taking off their clothes in the workplace, after President Lukashenka's video address went viral.
Russian Activists and Industry Speak Out Against New Draconian ‘Anti-Terrorist’ Laws
The new comprehensive amendments threaten Russian Internet users' privacy and anonymity by cracking down on encryption and beefing up surveillance measures.
Russia Mulls A ‘National Big Data Operator’ to Control Internet User Data
Russian officials are considering the creation of a "national big data operator" that would control how Russian Internet users' data is being used, stored and protected.
Russian State Censor Can Now Un-Delegate Website Domain Names Extrajudicially
The Russian state Internet regulator, Roscomnadzor, has been grated the power to un-delegate domain names for websites found to host child pornography without a court order.
The Wild World of Telegram Stickers
It’s Friday and today we’re going to write about stickers—not just any stickers, but the stickers that have been flooding the instant messenger app Telegram for the past year.
Immersive VR Documentary on Ukrainian Chernobyl Fully Funded on Kickstarter
A virtual reality documentary about the Ukrainian Chernobyl exclusion zone using 360-degree video technology has been fully funded on Kickstarter.
