Welcome to Net Prophet, a blog tracking new media and tech developments across Central Europe and Eurasia
Third time a charm for Tajik Facebook block?
As Tajikistan’s elections approach this fall, authorities in the Central Asian country have blocked Facebook for the third time in recent months. The blockage, something that seems to be becoming increasingly common in the country, also seems to extend this time to Radio Free Europe’s Tajik service. Read More »
New evidence emerges in TeliaSonera bribery case
Swedish prosecutors have filed new documents in an investigation into claims that Scandinavian mobile operator TeliaSonera paid hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to secure an operating license in Uzbekistan, according to Radio Free Europe. Read More »
Unfazed by controversy, TeliaSonera boosts its share of Kazakh mobile market
Swedish mobile network operator TeliaSonera has taken another big bite into Kazakhstan’s telecommunications sector, spending $170 million on 4G technology for KCell, the country’s largest mobile provider, Total Telecom reports. Read More »
Critics question neutrality of Kazakh Wikipedia
Ties between the Kazakhstani government and WikiBilim, the NGO founded to promote the expansion of the Kazakh-language version of Wikipedia, have prompted critics of the online encyclopedia to accuse it of providing the Kazakh regime with an opportunity to use the website as a propaganda machine. Read More »
Looking East: The Russian example of volunteerism for Belarus
Social participation is something that works for Russia sometimes as well as in the West. Or at least, OK, better than it does in Belarus.
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Mapping Czech open data (and dangerous food)
One of the biggest topics we cover at Net Prophet is the growing acceptance of open government data. At least in some sectors, many countries are beginning to see the benefits of opening up their wealth of information to their citizens and journalists. Some interesting platforms have been developed in the process, but we have noticed that even the best examples really only go so far in truly opening up their data. Yes, a ministry may make a document or database available online, but often they are too difficult for average citizens – and even journalists – to use.
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New Russian website sets targets on apartment repairs
After struggling to coalesce the increasingly targeted Russian opposition movement, anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny has launched a website to tap into public frustration over poor conditions in Russian apartment blocks. And after a month online, the site seems to be hitting a nerve, The New York Times reports. Read More »
Estonia decodes IT future
The European Union launched an information technology agency in Estonia last Saturday, just months after the Baltic country announced it would begin teaching computer programming to first-graders. Read More »
In Belarus, converting online power to offline momentum
Belarus is known for its peculiar attitude to its own culture (or maybe it’s better to say we have a peculiar attitude to our president who has been running the country without any changes since 1994). Read More »
Space race in the Baltics in full swing
Latvia recently stole the lead in the Baltic space race, stating it would launch its first satellite into orbit early next year.
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Hunting black swans with big data
In times of worldwide economic crisis, natural disasters, and political turmoil, one often wonders if such events couldn't have been mitigated or avoided altogether with the help of the latest technological developments. The United Nations Development Programme offers a potential answer in the form of a software that allows better data visualization and detection of irregular patterns.
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‘Carousel Voting’ Goes Viral in Kyrgyz Elections
Nearly three months of intrusive and irksome electoral campaigns in Kyrgyzstan came to an end as votes were counted for the five municipal elections held on November 25. But with the results in, a scandalous piece of citizen media has left a sour taste in the mouth. Read More »
Moscow court orders removal of ‘extremist’ Pussy Riot online videos
Four videos made by the dissident punk band Pussy Riot are extremist, a Moscow court ruled 29 November, according to Radio Free Europe. Read More »
A paperless government in Moldova by 2014
E-government is one of the main priorities of the Moldovan government, and this is to ensure transparency and access to public services online. From 1 January 2014 the Moldovan government hopes to be completely non-reliant on paper. That's because all documents will be circulated and signed electronically.
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About Us
Net Prophet is a blog supported by Transitions Online tracking new media and tech developments across Central Europe and Eurasia.
Transitions Online is an online magazine that covers political, social, cultural, and economic issues in the former communist countries of Europe and Central Asia. The magazine has a strong network of local contributors, who provide valuable insight into events in the region’s 29 countries.
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Recent Posts
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Elva, crowd-sourcing conflict in the South Caucasus
May 22, 2013 -
Karimova gets schooled in Twitter debate
May 17, 2013 -
Hungary: Government limits FOIA transparency law
May 10, 2013 -
U.S. calls Ukraine the pirate king
May 8, 2013 -
Azerbaijan legislating civil web discourse
May 3, 2013
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