The Netoscope database of Russian domain names suspected of malware, botnet, or phishing activities similarly employed a trusted notifier-model and had direct effects on online information visibility without judicial oversight or right to redress.
To learn more, have a look at our article (free)
The way the Piracy Shield is set up reminds me of my study with Liudmila Sivetc on the Russian Netoscope project, where we warned against the vulnerabilities of trusted notifier-models in in states with restricted media freedom.
Important action from Cloudflare against Italy's Piracy Shield and its lack of judicial oversight, redress and due process. As research shows, the Piracy Shield is already resulting in the overblocking of legitimate websites. The potential for (political) misuse of the Piracy Shield is also evident.
We are excited to host Daniel Hegedüs, deputy director of the Institut für Europäische Politik, in Maastricht on 23 April for the Jean Monnet lecture:
"International determinants of autocratisation and democratisation in the EU in an age of geopolitical upheaval"
Don't miss it! Attendance is free
Luister nu de meest recente aflevering terug over de huidige energiecrisis, met daarin mijn perspectief op de Hongaarse verkiezingen: wat betekent het verlies van dwarsligger Orbán in de verkiezingen van gisteren voor de besluit- en slagvaardigheid van de EU?
De Café Europa podcast heeft een nieuwe rubriek waarin mijn collega Yf Reykers en ik je mee nemen in het Europese streven naar grotere onafhankelijkheid: Europa op Eigen Benen. Van digital autonomie tot defensie.
Café Europa is een samenwerking tussen Studio Europa Maastricht en Haagsch College.
Will the #EU be able to make decisions faster if obstructer Viktor #Orbán loses the elections in #Hungary? Find out @mariellew.bsky.social's answer on the @studioeuropa.bsky.social and @haagschcollege.bsky.social @cafeeuropa.bsky.social podcast 👇
studioeuropamaastricht.nl/nl/2026/04/0...
Help share this call for proposals
#Academicsky #Polisky #Lawsky #IRsky #EUsky #Commsky #Digitalsky #AI #InternetGovernance #GlobalGovernance #InternetAccess #TechPolicy #DigitalPolicy #Cybersecurity #DigitalSovereignty #DigitalAutonomy #DigitalRights #DigitalConstitutionalism #SocialMedia #BigTech
We're particularly looking to promote comparative and interdisciplinary research and to foster global perspectives.
Please help share this call for book proposals with colleagues whose work would fit the scope and ambitions of our series.
...STS and communication studies, the series seeks to critically assess existing frameworks and propose innovative approaches to shaping digital law and governance in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Our interdisciplinary book series explores how digitalisation gives rise to new legal and political challenges, examining how law, policy, and governance are adapting to the complexities of the digital age. By bringing together diverse perspectives from fields such as political science, sociology...
The first book in our series, 'Governing Digital Public Infrastructure: Innovation, Inclusion and Societal Progress in the Age of AI' by Stergios Aidinlis, was published late last year, with several more books in the pipeline.
You can check out Stergios' book here:
Together with Edoardo Celeste, I co-edit the Routledge Series in Digital Law and Governance. Do you have an idea for a monograph or edited volume that pushes the boundaries of the field? Get in touch! We welcome proposals from, e.g., political science, law, sociology, STS and communication studies.
🌐 What happens when a country #disconnects from the global #internet? @mariellew.bsky.social explores the impact on #information, #communication & #digital control.
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@fasosmaastricht.bsky.social
At the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, we value societal engagement: from media commentary and policy advising to co-creation in research. We see impact as a continuous dialogue with society.
We decided to celebrate our collaboration with local partners in a series of interviews. Enjoy!
How do you translate complex academic knowledge into a clear story for a broad audience?
Read the interview with CEEhub's Professor Giselle Bosse and Maurice de Heus of regional broadcaster L1 on the role journalists and scholars play in informing public debate on Europe.
En Russie, la "messagerie nationale" Max s'impose bon gré mal gré grâce à une promotion massive et aux blocages de WhatsApp et Telegram par les autorités au nom de l'indépendance de Moscou vis-à-vis de l'étranger - avec @mariellew.bsky.social
information.tv5monde.com/economie/rus...
The piece also includes quotes from Russian users on how they are adapting to this latest push to control the information environment.
"Russia wants to restructure the internet to better control what is published" including "by migrating all Russians to platforms that are more state-controlled."
"This is the culmination of policies aimed at creating a sovereign internet," Marielle Wijermars, an associate professor of internet governance at Maastricht University told AFP.
Great piece by FRANCE 24 on how Russia pushes the Max messenger onto its citizens with a massive promotion campaign and the simultaneous blocking of Whatsapp and Telegram - with some comments by me.
"'Dit is een poging om elke vorm van oppositie onmogelijk te maken,' zegt professor internetbeleid Mariëlle Wijermars."
Mijn commentaar op de op handen zijnde blokkering van Telegram en vergaande internetbeperkingen in Moskou en andere delen van Rusland voor Knack.
Therefore, the policy brief stresses the need to strengthen coalitions with like-minded states and stakeholders to safeguard the future of the global open internet and defend the continued, meaningful involvement of all stakeholders in Internet Governance.
In global policy fora, such as the UN and the International Telecommunications Union, authoritarian states, including Russia, advocate for full state control over the Internet and seek to undermine the principles underlying the global open internet, including the protection of human rights online.
...and the urgency of investing in and scaling up internet censorship circumvention technologies. The case of Russia, however, does not stand in isolation. Worldwide, the number of social media and internet shutdowns continues to increase and digital authoritarianism is on the rise.
I argue policymakers should anticipate further escalation of Russian internet censorship, including the blocking of all remaining foreign platforms and messaging apps (incl. Telegram). I stress the need to provide sustained financial and technical support to Russian independent media in exile...