CMDS Publishes Report on the State of Internet Freedom in Hungary as Part of Comparative Study of the Visegrad4 Countries

The Center for Media, Data and Society (CMDS) is pleased to announce publication of a report on the state of internet freedom in Hungary, as part of a study of the Visegrad countries (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia) led by Transitions and PASOS (Policy Association for an Open Society). The report was produced by Gábor Polyák (Mérték Média Monitor), Kate Coyer (CMDS), and Joost van Beek (CMDS). 

The Hungarian case study found that while domestic and international pressure led to the Hungarian government rolling back a few of the most severe restrictions on online and other media, the scope of media and Internet regulation has increased significantly over the past four years; that publishers and bloggers are vulnerable to heavy fines, sanctions, and formal and informal government pressure; that regulatory bodies lack transparency and diversity of membership; and that serious ambiguity exists within the new criminal code and other opaque rules leaving room for abuse of authority over online content filtering and blockage. The study concludes with a series of recommendations for improving freedom online.

Read the full article on the CMDS website here.

Download the report here.