e-gov
Hungary: Government limits FOIA transparency law
In an unexpected move last week, Parliamentarians in Hungary took action to change the country’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in an effort to limit the scope of data accessible to the public under the law. Read More »
Fearing good fortune, Estonia crowd-sources ideas
Worried that success might spoil Estonia, its leader has reached out to citizens to tell the government what it should do to satisfy their fast-evolving desires, Estonian Public Broadcasting reports. Read More »
Moldova wins international ‘Best mGovernment’ prize
The Moldovan government was recently awarded the international “Best mGovernment” prize for their mobile-signature project, according to Moldova’s e-government center. Read More »
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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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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Kremlin tells top officials to tone down their tweets
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for establishing a new set of rules for Russian officials when they use social network websites, RIA Novosti reports. Read More »
Helpful resource: The Data Journalism Handbook (now in Russian)
The folks over at Data Driven Journalism have announced the release of the first translation of their Data Journalism Handbook – and it’s in Russian! Read More »
Threats to net freedom increasing, diversifying
When it comes to the battle over the Internet, repressive governments have been pushing hard over the past year to gain greater control over what their citizens say and see online. Read More »
IGF brings Internet dicussions to Azerbaijan
From 6-9 November the Internet Governance Forum will be held in Baku. This event, probably one of the world’s biggest Internet policy events, brings together many local and international organizations in order to discuss issues from all over the world, and not all of the the issues pleasant. Read More »
Balkans reaffirm commitment to data protection
It should come as no surprise that the EU considers the protection of personal data as a fundamental right guaranteed by a number of international and national legal acts. These laws cover the right to have private and family life respected, the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, and the free movement of such data. Read More »
Bulgaria e-gov project to shine light on government spending
Bulgaria will start publishing daily data on government spending in August as part of the country’s Open Government Initiative. The Ministry of Finance will post .xls spreadsheets with information on fund transfers to ministries, municipalities, universities, and other public organizations. Read More »
Sheep to go hi-tech in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is counting sheep; not to go to sleep, however. The South Caucasus country, known for its strong taste for lamb, is corralling its sheep and all other livestock into a national database, complete with personal profiles. Read More »
Russian courts struggle to adhere to online transparency law
Two years after the enactment of a law that required all courts–except closed courts–to publish their rulings online, legal experts are increasingly concerned that it is ineffective and needs substantive reforms, despite recent praise from President Vladimir Putin. Read More »
Bulgaria sets finish line for e-gov project
Bulgaria’s largest e-government project, which will enable the sharing of electronic data between more than 30 public registers, should be finalized by May 2013, according to Novinite. Read More »
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- Bulgaria’s Leading Party Demands Vote Rerun, Amnesty Slams Ukraine on Gay RightsPlus, Bucharest flouts the EU with new anti-corruption appointments and police in the Balkans nab human traffickers. Police swoop down on human traffickers in Bosnia and Croatia Bosnian and Croatian law enforcement authorities have collaborated in an organized crackdown on human trafficking, Reuters reports. Police in Croatia arrested 25 suspects and were […]
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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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