Monika Balcova
@monikabalcova.bsky.social
Digital Media Manager at #CEDMO. Passionate about #stratcomm and fighting disinfo. My views only ✍️
Reposted by Monika Balcova
🗳️ The parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic are just around the corner, and Czechs abroad can vote by mail for the first time.
🔍 However, 68% of people do not know the rules of postal voting, and 48% are worried about fraud and manipulation 👇
🔍 However, 68% of people do not know the rules of postal voting, and 48% are worried about fraud and manipulation 👇
September 29, 2025 at 8:09 AM
🗳️ The parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic are just around the corner, and Czechs abroad can vote by mail for the first time.
🔍 However, 68% of people do not know the rules of postal voting, and 48% are worried about fraud and manipulation 👇
🔍 However, 68% of people do not know the rules of postal voting, and 48% are worried about fraud and manipulation 👇
Reposted by Monika Balcova
⚠️ As many as 46% of Czechs, 34% of Slovaks, and 48% of Poles believe that out of the eight members of the Politburo who, on August 21, 1968, decided to send Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia, as many as five were Ukrainians. This was revealed by the #CEDMOTrends📈 survey from October last year 🧵
August 21, 2025 at 8:07 AM
⚠️ As many as 46% of Czechs, 34% of Slovaks, and 48% of Poles believe that out of the eight members of the Politburo who, on August 21, 1968, decided to send Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia, as many as five were Ukrainians. This was revealed by the #CEDMOTrends📈 survey from October last year 🧵
🔦 At @cedmohub.bsky.social, we took a closer look at how people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia view a potential Trump–Putin deal that would take place without the participation of the president of Ukraine ⬇️
❓ Should Ukraine’s future be decided… without Ukraine?
We asked people in 🇨🇿 and 🇸🇰 what they think about a potential agreement on Ukraine reached without President Zelenskyy’s participation.
In March, such a deal worried 58% of Czechs but only 47% of Slovaks 👇
#CEDMOTrends📈
We asked people in 🇨🇿 and 🇸🇰 what they think about a potential agreement on Ukraine reached without President Zelenskyy’s participation.
In March, such a deal worried 58% of Czechs but only 47% of Slovaks 👇
#CEDMOTrends📈
August 14, 2025 at 8:40 AM
🔦 At @cedmohub.bsky.social, we took a closer look at how people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia view a potential Trump–Putin deal that would take place without the participation of the president of Ukraine ⬇️
Reposted by Monika Balcova
🇺🇦 In Kamyanka, Ukraine, Larisa & Viktor Sysenko started demining their farm with rakes. With countless unexploded mines left, waiting wasn’t an option. And they’re not alone...
Read the @en.afp.com & @bellingcat.com investigation on Ukrainian farmers reclaiming Ukraine’s mined fields 🧵
Read the @en.afp.com & @bellingcat.com investigation on Ukrainian farmers reclaiming Ukraine’s mined fields 🧵
July 4, 2025 at 9:51 AM
🇺🇦 In Kamyanka, Ukraine, Larisa & Viktor Sysenko started demining their farm with rakes. With countless unexploded mines left, waiting wasn’t an option. And they’re not alone...
Read the @en.afp.com & @bellingcat.com investigation on Ukrainian farmers reclaiming Ukraine’s mined fields 🧵
Read the @en.afp.com & @bellingcat.com investigation on Ukrainian farmers reclaiming Ukraine’s mined fields 🧵
Reposted by Monika Balcova
🚨 New newsletter edition alert!
We've just published a new edition of our CEDMO Observer newsletter - including interesting insights from @globsec.bsky.social, @demagog.org.pl or @edmo-eu.bsky.social!
👉 Read the newsletter on LinkedIn bit.ly/readcedmoobs... and subscribe at bit.ly/cedmoobserver
We've just published a new edition of our CEDMO Observer newsletter - including interesting insights from @globsec.bsky.social, @demagog.org.pl or @edmo-eu.bsky.social!
👉 Read the newsletter on LinkedIn bit.ly/readcedmoobs... and subscribe at bit.ly/cedmoobserver
Welcome to CEDMO Observer 05/2025!
The information landscape is evolving at lightning speed—and we’re here to help you stay ahead. Every month, we deliver essential updates that cut through the noise and bring clarity to today’s comple...
bit.ly
June 5, 2025 at 10:25 AM
🚨 New newsletter edition alert!
We've just published a new edition of our CEDMO Observer newsletter - including interesting insights from @globsec.bsky.social, @demagog.org.pl or @edmo-eu.bsky.social!
👉 Read the newsletter on LinkedIn bit.ly/readcedmoobs... and subscribe at bit.ly/cedmoobserver
We've just published a new edition of our CEDMO Observer newsletter - including interesting insights from @globsec.bsky.social, @demagog.org.pl or @edmo-eu.bsky.social!
👉 Read the newsletter on LinkedIn bit.ly/readcedmoobs... and subscribe at bit.ly/cedmoobserver
🧵1/ At @cedmohub.bsky.social, we asked Czechs & Slovaks about their online habits—especially their views on Elon Musk’s X and TikTok. Some surprising findings 👇
May 30, 2025 at 8:43 AM
🧵1/ At @cedmohub.bsky.social, we asked Czechs & Slovaks about their online habits—especially their views on Elon Musk’s X and TikTok. Some surprising findings 👇
Reposted by Monika Balcova
Hrozí nám, že z nemeckého prístupu k nenávistným prejavom si vyberú hrozienka a priblížia nás k najhoršiemu z možných svetov, pokiaľ ide o slobodu slova:
voľná jazda pre extrémistov, ale zároveň tvrdá ruka proti vybraným kritikom vlády od stránok typu Zomri po kritických novinárov.
voľná jazda pre extrémistov, ale zároveň tvrdá ruka proti vybraným kritikom vlády od stránok typu Zomri po kritických novinárov.
Keby sme boli ako Nemecko, za nenávistné prejavy by čelila stíhaniu polovica koalície. Ale problém by možno malo aj Zomri
Keď generátori nenávisti chcú bojovať proti nenávistným prejavom podľa vzoru Nemecka, mali by nám blikať kontrolky.
dennikn.sk
May 22, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Hrozí nám, že z nemeckého prístupu k nenávistným prejavom si vyberú hrozienka a priblížia nás k najhoršiemu z možných svetov, pokiaľ ide o slobodu slova:
voľná jazda pre extrémistov, ale zároveň tvrdá ruka proti vybraným kritikom vlády od stránok typu Zomri po kritických novinárov.
voľná jazda pre extrémistov, ale zároveň tvrdá ruka proti vybraným kritikom vlády od stránok typu Zomri po kritických novinárov.
Reposted by Monika Balcova
Meta faces Ghana lawsuits over impact of extreme content on moderators
Meta faces Ghana lawsuits over impact of extreme content on moderators
Workers at contractor in Accra say they have suffered from depression and anxiety as a result of their work
Meta is facing a second set of lawsuits in Africa over the psychological distress experienced by content moderators employed to take down disturbing social media content including depictions of murders, extreme violence and child sexual abuse.
Lawyers are gearing up for court action against a company contracted by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, after meeting moderators at a facility in Ghana that is understood to employ about 150 people.
Moderators working for Majorel in Accra claim they have suffered from depression, anxiety, insomnia and substance abuse as a direct consequence of the work they do checking extreme content. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
April 27, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Meta faces Ghana lawsuits over impact of extreme content on moderators
Reposted by Monika Balcova
Russian Propaganda Campaign Targets France with AI-Fabricated Scandals, Drawing 55 Million Views on Social Media www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/russian-pr...
Russian Propaganda Campaign Targets France with AI-Fabricated Scandals, Drawing 55 Million Views on Social Media
As Paris emerges as one of the West’s top supporters of Ukraine, the infamous John Mark Dougan-powered Storm-1516 Russian disinformation operation is now targeting France
www.newsguardrealitycheck.com
April 24, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Russian Propaganda Campaign Targets France with AI-Fabricated Scandals, Drawing 55 Million Views on Social Media www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/russian-pr...
Reposted by Monika Balcova
The free speech website where the owner (who believes in free speech) will throttle your access if you criticize him - even if you support all the far-right conspiracy theories and bigotry he supports. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
They Criticized Musk on X. Then Their Reach Collapsed. (Gift Article)
Three users who disagreed with the site’s owner saw views for their posts plummet.
www.nytimes.com
April 23, 2025 at 10:26 AM
The free speech website where the owner (who believes in free speech) will throttle your access if you criticize him - even if you support all the far-right conspiracy theories and bigotry he supports. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Monika Balcova
Today, we've fined Apple and Meta for breaching the #DMA.
Apple restricts developers from informing customers about offers outside the App Store, while Meta doesn’t give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data.
More info: europa.eu/!9RDQmk
Apple restricts developers from informing customers about offers outside the App Store, while Meta doesn’t give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data.
More info: europa.eu/!9RDQmk
April 23, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Today, we've fined Apple and Meta for breaching the #DMA.
Apple restricts developers from informing customers about offers outside the App Store, while Meta doesn’t give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data.
More info: europa.eu/!9RDQmk
Apple restricts developers from informing customers about offers outside the App Store, while Meta doesn’t give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data.
More info: europa.eu/!9RDQmk
Reposted by Monika Balcova
The best way to improve your writing is not always to write more. It's often to reread more.
Instead of just enjoying the content, study the form. Pay attention to how your favorite authors set up ideas, structure paragraphs, and shape sentences.
Role models elevate art.
Instead of just enjoying the content, study the form. Pay attention to how your favorite authors set up ideas, structure paragraphs, and shape sentences.
Role models elevate art.
March 20, 2025 at 3:28 PM
The best way to improve your writing is not always to write more. It's often to reread more.
Instead of just enjoying the content, study the form. Pay attention to how your favorite authors set up ideas, structure paragraphs, and shape sentences.
Role models elevate art.
Instead of just enjoying the content, study the form. Pay attention to how your favorite authors set up ideas, structure paragraphs, and shape sentences.
Role models elevate art.
Reposted by Monika Balcova
For the second month now, Putin has been ignoring the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire. Russia is confident it can continue killing Ukrainians without any punishment in return
Russia wants war.Its rapidly growing military machine can only be stopped by force — or by cutting off the money that fuels it
Russia wants war.Its rapidly growing military machine can only be stopped by force — or by cutting off the money that fuels it
April 13, 2025 at 11:43 AM
For the second month now, Putin has been ignoring the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire. Russia is confident it can continue killing Ukrainians without any punishment in return
Russia wants war.Its rapidly growing military machine can only be stopped by force — or by cutting off the money that fuels it
Russia wants war.Its rapidly growing military machine can only be stopped by force — or by cutting off the money that fuels it
Reposted by Monika Balcova
In Slovakia, our grassroots movement helped oust a neo-Nazi. We can do it again | Alexandra Bitušíková
In Slovakia, our grassroots movement helped oust a neo-Nazi. We can do it again | Alexandra Bitušíková
Professor Alexandra Bitušíková explains how face-to-face local activism was crucial in bringing down the neo-Nazi People’s Party Our Slovakia
www.theguardian.com
April 11, 2025 at 7:26 AM
In Slovakia, our grassroots movement helped oust a neo-Nazi. We can do it again | Alexandra Bitušíková
Reposted by Monika Balcova
Vaccination eliminated polio from the United States
April 7, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Vaccination eliminated polio from the United States
At @cedmohub.bsky.social, we asked Slovaks about PM Fico’s claim of an “attempted coup.” 54% of them believe these accusations are a distraction from the government’s internal challenges 👇
🇸🇰 How do Slovaks view Prime Minister Fico's claim about "attempted coup" organized by the opposition?
More than half believe that these accusations are a distraction from internal government issues.
📖 Read our latest #CEDMOSpecialBrief🕵️♂️: bit.ly/4c6kBMS
More than half believe that these accusations are a distraction from internal government issues.
📖 Read our latest #CEDMOSpecialBrief🕵️♂️: bit.ly/4c6kBMS
March 26, 2025 at 9:16 AM
At @cedmohub.bsky.social, we asked Slovaks about PM Fico’s claim of an “attempted coup.” 54% of them believe these accusations are a distraction from the government’s internal challenges 👇
Reposted by Monika Balcova
Just the fact that an article with this title had to be written, even could be written!, tells you a lot. Sad! (as the US president would say)
Crossing into the United States has become increasingly dangerous for digital privacy. Here are a few steps you can take to minimize the risk of Customs and Border Patrol accessing your data.
How to Enter the US With Your Digital Privacy Intact
Crossing into the United States has become increasingly dangerous for digital privacy. Here are a few steps you can take to minimize the risk of Customs and Border Patrol accessing your data.
wrd.cm
March 24, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Just the fact that an article with this title had to be written, even could be written!, tells you a lot. Sad! (as the US president would say)
Reposted by Monika Balcova
They did one of those WW2 game chat videos for real.
In 25 years of covering national security, I’ve never seen a story like this: Senior Trump officials discussed planning for the U.S. attack on Yemen in a Signal group--and inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
www.theatlantic.com
March 24, 2025 at 6:43 PM
They did one of those WW2 game chat videos for real.
Revealed: Google facilitated Russia and China’s censorship requests
Revealed: Google facilitated Russia and China’s censorship requests
An investigation has exposed the tech firm’s cooperation with autocratic regimes to remove unfavourable content
Google has cooperated with autocratic regimes around the world, including the Kremlin in Russia and the Chinese Communist party, to facilitate…
www.theguardian.com
February 16, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Reposted by Monika Balcova
Zuckerberg knows his platforms' algorithms amplify hate, lies & controversies. Yet, he is scrapping Meta's content moderation program.
"It's clearly a decision taken for political reasons rather than any principle." - Our CEO @imranahmed.bsky.social on ABC News👇
https://buff.ly/3C2sJQS
"It's clearly a decision taken for political reasons rather than any principle." - Our CEO @imranahmed.bsky.social on ABC News👇
https://buff.ly/3C2sJQS
January 8, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Zuckerberg knows his platforms' algorithms amplify hate, lies & controversies. Yet, he is scrapping Meta's content moderation program.
"It's clearly a decision taken for political reasons rather than any principle." - Our CEO @imranahmed.bsky.social on ABC News👇
https://buff.ly/3C2sJQS
"It's clearly a decision taken for political reasons rather than any principle." - Our CEO @imranahmed.bsky.social on ABC News👇
https://buff.ly/3C2sJQS
🚨 @ec.europa.eu is adopting a Communication to support Member States to counter hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration by #Russia and #Belarus and to strengthen security at the EU's external borders.
👉 ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
👉 ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Commission steps up support for Member States to strengthen EU security and counter the weaponisation of migration
Today, the Commission is adopting a Communication to support Member States to counter hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration by Russia and Belarus and to strengthen security at the EU's ex...
ec.europa.eu
December 11, 2024 at 2:19 PM
🚨 @ec.europa.eu is adopting a Communication to support Member States to counter hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration by #Russia and #Belarus and to strengthen security at the EU's external borders.
👉 ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
👉 ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Reposted by Monika Balcova
It's now 13 months since our friend, colleague and award-winning #journalist Minnie Chan went missing while on assignment in Beijing. Her children, current and former colleagues and a global community of journalists care only for her welfare and hope she is OK. We will never give up hope.
December 2, 2024 at 2:41 AM
It's now 13 months since our friend, colleague and award-winning #journalist Minnie Chan went missing while on assignment in Beijing. Her children, current and former colleagues and a global community of journalists care only for her welfare and hope she is OK. We will never give up hope.
⚠️ (Almost) All you need to know about the disastrous effect of disinformation in Slovakia 👇 (a thread):
📖 25 % of Slovak adults are on the same level in reading literacy as a 10-year-old child.
📖 25 % of Slovak adults are on the same level in reading literacy as a 10-year-old child.
December 10, 2024 at 7:19 PM
⚠️ (Almost) All you need to know about the disastrous effect of disinformation in Slovakia 👇 (a thread):
📖 25 % of Slovak adults are on the same level in reading literacy as a 10-year-old child.
📖 25 % of Slovak adults are on the same level in reading literacy as a 10-year-old child.
🎓 Securing a traineeship at the European institutions is a dream for many. Yet, it can often feel overwhelming.
👉 Read the article to get to know my experience with landing a traineeship in the office of Director-General of #DGCOMM at the @ec.europa.eu 🇪🇺
🔗 mve.fss.muni.cz/novinky/prvn...
👉 Read the article to get to know my experience with landing a traineeship in the office of Director-General of #DGCOMM at the @ec.europa.eu 🇪🇺
🔗 mve.fss.muni.cz/novinky/prvn...
První rozhovor ze série
mve.fss.muni.cz
December 4, 2024 at 6:00 PM
🎓 Securing a traineeship at the European institutions is a dream for many. Yet, it can often feel overwhelming.
👉 Read the article to get to know my experience with landing a traineeship in the office of Director-General of #DGCOMM at the @ec.europa.eu 🇪🇺
🔗 mve.fss.muni.cz/novinky/prvn...
👉 Read the article to get to know my experience with landing a traineeship in the office of Director-General of #DGCOMM at the @ec.europa.eu 🇪🇺
🔗 mve.fss.muni.cz/novinky/prvn...
Reposted by Monika Balcova
🇷🇴 #TikTok had a big influence on the Romanian elections 👇
"While paid political advertising isn't allowed under TikTok's terms and conditions, this time that rule was "largely ineffective," said Keith Kiely from the Bulgarian-Romanian hub #BROD.
👉 Read their report at: brodhub.eu/en/news/prel...
"While paid political advertising isn't allowed under TikTok's terms and conditions, this time that rule was "largely ineffective," said Keith Kiely from the Bulgarian-Romanian hub #BROD.
👉 Read their report at: brodhub.eu/en/news/prel...
December 2, 2024 at 2:02 PM
🇷🇴 #TikTok had a big influence on the Romanian elections 👇
"While paid political advertising isn't allowed under TikTok's terms and conditions, this time that rule was "largely ineffective," said Keith Kiely from the Bulgarian-Romanian hub #BROD.
👉 Read their report at: brodhub.eu/en/news/prel...
"While paid political advertising isn't allowed under TikTok's terms and conditions, this time that rule was "largely ineffective," said Keith Kiely from the Bulgarian-Romanian hub #BROD.
👉 Read their report at: brodhub.eu/en/news/prel...