Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from December, 2015
What to Expect From Russia's State Censor in 2016
The head of Russia's state censor discusses the normalcy of media restrictions, the efficacy of blocking online resources, tackling messenger apps, and much more to come in 2016.
Russian Blogger Gets Five-Year Prison Term for ‘Inciting Hate’ Online
Vadim Tyumentsev, a Russian blogger from Tomsk, has been charged with hate speech and calls to extremism online and has received a five-year sentence for videos on YouTube and VKontakte.
32 Stories That Capture the Happiness, Heartache and Resilience of 2015
Global Voices’ community-driven newsroom worked hard this year to build understanding across borders. Take a look back at some of the people and places we learned about in 2015.
The Best Stories of 2015, Handpicked by the Global Voices Community
We asked our editors, authors and translators from around the world which stories published on our site in 2015 were their favorites. Here's what they said.
Activists Seek to Dispel Abortion Stigma Fueled by the Macedonian Government's Policies
"Because it's about me, the decision whether to abort or not must remain my and only my right."
How the Soviet Union Sent Its First Man to the Internet in 1982
This is the story of a Soviet scientist who, in 1982, accidentally found himself among the first citizens of the USSR who were able to connect to the Internet.
For Artists, the World Was a Canvas for Change in 2015
As 2016 approaches, revisit 16 stories from the Global Voices' archives of art with a powerful purpose.
The 7 Most-Read Stories of 2015 on Global Voices
The following seven stories received the most attention from audiences and also received hundreds of shares, likes and comments on social media and our site.
2015 End-of-Year Quiz: Test Your Russian Internet News Knowledge
Think you're a Russian Internet guru? Take our 2015 news quiz to see how closely you've been following the RuNet Echo stories during the past year.
Russian Censors Launch Automatic Online Media Monitoring System to Spot ‘Extremist’ Content
Roscomnadzor initially had ambitious plans to monitor all of the Russian Internet for extremist materials, but didn't have enough funding, so decided to focus on online media outlets.
Advox by the Numbers: 2015 in Digital Rights
In 2015, Turkey blocked 166 websites for publishing one controversial image, Thai activists knocked 5 government websites offline in a virtual "sit-in", and Mexico spent $6.3 million on surveillance software.
Russia's Citizen Journalists: Mercenary Mudslingers or Intrepid Investigators?
Since three bloggers were arrested in Samara, their story of muckraking and blackmail has come to threaten the future of investigative blogging, as well as Governor Nikolai Merkushkin's tenure.
This Year on GV Face We Took You to Gaza, Budapest, Beirut, Paris and Beyond
This has been a fascinating year on GV Face, our Hangout series where we try to understand the world through discussions with our on-ground experts -- Global Voices community members.
The Bridge From Russia to Crimea Doesn't Exist Yet, But It Already Has an Instagram Account
Cats can help improve your bridge construction project's social media strategy, especially if you need to draw attention away from how slow and expensive your project is.
Meet the People Who Want to Repeal Russia's Draconian Laws
A group of Russian intellectuals has created a public council to determine which Russian laws limit human rights and freedoms, and to recommend that such laws be repealed.
Massive LiveJournal Troll Network Pushes Pro-Kremlin Narratives
An in-depth analysis of Twitter bots' metadata reveals connections to Russian "troll factories" and a vast network of pro-Kremlin LiveJournal blogs populating RuNet with propagandistic content.
Roscomnadzor Head Claims Google and Apple Are ‘Relocating Servers’ to Russia
Aleksandr Zharov, head of the Russian media watchdog, told journalists Google and Apple were "working on localizing their databases on Russian territory," but said the information was "unofficial."
Russian Activist Gets Two-Year Sentence for ‘Calls to Extremism’ on Social Networks
A Russian court has found activist Darya Polyudova guilty of "public calls to separatism and extremism" on social networks and has sentenced her to two years in a penal colony.
As Russia Insulates Itself from Human Rights Bodies, State Surveillance Decision Looms
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a free expression advocate's case against Russian government surveillance. But thanks to a new law, Russia officially does not care.
Poland's Constitutional Tribunal Crisis
Constitutional crisis. Protesters outside the parliament. Enigmatic national addresses. A power struggle between governments. This is Polish politics today.
Here's What Russian Internet Users Googled in 2015
In 2015, the RuNet cheered on Eurovision and hockey, but also mourned prominent Russians who passed away and followed the tragic events in Egypt and France.
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