Category «Internet freedom»

How to not get imprisoned because of a reshare or likes on social media?

The best is to have two profiles on social media, public and secret, and avoid Russian or Belarusian social networks. Recommendations are given based on the experience of Digital Skills Coalition Belarus with practical cases on user security in Belarus and beyond. Comments, likes, posts, and reshare – any action on social media can put …

Debates in Chisinau: New challenges to Internet freedom in the context of current security risks

New challenges to Internet freedom in Moldova in the context of current security risks were discussed at the round table held on July 19 in Chisinau, the capital of the Republic of Moldova. One of the topics that generated the most lively discussions was the recent legislative initiatives to regulate the information space, including the …

The draft law on ensuring security of information space: risks of tacit presumption of guilt for the virtual environment in Moldova

The legislative initiative to amend certain regulations aimed at ensuring the security of information space (draft to the Parliament of Republic of Moldova 123/2022) raises numerous questions in terms of maintaining a balance between freedom and security issues, as well as the use of formulations that can be interpreted ambiguously, which carries the risk of …

Digital Security Online Training for Civil Society

The Lawyers’ Committee For Human Rights (YUCOM) organized an online training “Digital Security of Human Rights Activists”, on April 18, 2022. While cyber-attacks are on the rise, many CSOs have unprotected data and insufficient cyber security protocols, making them vulnerable to data loss. To fight this, organizations must priorities enacting digital security best practices. The …

The Russia-Ukranian war triggers splinternet?

The threat of splinternet (earlier referred to as balkanization of internet) has been envisaged and discussed for 20 years already. Today many anticipate turning the global internet into the network splintered  into a collection of fragmented networks controlled by governments or corporations. Political Science News “Does Splinternet mean the end of the Internet?” 6/04/2022 described …

Persecution of Wikipedia editors in Belarus

Wikipedia has always been extremely important for the Belarusian Internet audience as an encyclopedic reference resource. According to the Baltic Internet Policy Initiative, Wikipedia.org is one of the top 10 most visited websites in Belarus. The coverage of the computer audience is 23%, i.е. almost every fourth Belarusian Internet user. Today, the development of this …

Internet regulation in Moldova and the importance of creating a favourable legal environment for the online space

In Moldova, as in many other countries, the search for a balanced form of online regulation continues. Currently, there are a number of conflicting trends in the regulation of the country’s online environment and the absence of a unified state policy in this area. Driven by fear of security risks, Moldovan authorities are increasingly attempting …

Accessibility and Usability on the Internet for People with Disabilities in Moldova

Persons with disabilities and special needs often face barriers that restrict them from participating in society on an equal basis, including the access to, and use of, information and communication technologies. These barriers include none or very little attention to incorporating accessibility features for online content (including websites), limited adaptability in the functionality of products …