-
Digital constitutionalism reversed? - instrumentalising Big Tech for democratic change
14 July 2022The horrendous military activities of Russia in Ukraine have caused a severe backlash from tech giants. YouTube clamped down on Kremlin-backed channels for spreading war propaganda. Meta allowed its users to wish death to Russian armed forces. On top of that, Twitter is constantly policing tweets by Russian embassies denying the invasion. -
Manannikov v. Russia: the final nail in the coffin of political dissent?
8 July 202224 February marked a turning point in modern history: Russia barbarously attacked Ukraine. Apart from other drastic implications, including the expulsion of Russia from the Council of Europe, the war set off a new wave of political repression within a country. -
Seeing through the eye of god - Telegram bots and data protection in Russia
15 April 2021Telegram is a powerful tool for end-to-end encrypted communication and one of the most popular messenger apps in Russia. However, one aspect often evades public attention: Telegram is swamped with bots which gather and disseminate personal data. -
The Digital Services Act and freedom of expression: triumph or failure?
8 March 2021The Digital Services Act (‘DSA’) is part of the long-awaited package aimed at providing a transparency and accountability framework for online platforms and laying down additional duties for large providers with gatekeeping powers. There is surely a lot to unpack in this hefty proposal. This piece looks at new obligations and regulatory powers introduced by the DSA and examines their potential to safeguard freedom of expression. It also uncovers some of the DSA’s controversial points which policymakers should be looking out for in the course of the legislative...