Armenia

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of public life. Virtually unprecedented, the public health crisis required an emergency response. That response, however, has brought with it a new set of concerns that might have a lasting impact well beyond the pandemic. Privacy is under serious threat. Governments rushed to deploy tracking apps in an effort to curb the spread of the virus by facilitating contact tracing and monitoring for compliance with self-isolation regimes.

In the wake of a recently reignited war with Azerbaijan in 2020, concerns about the spread of digital disinformation in Armenia have grown. So much so that a raft of legislation has been proposed by lawmakers in the Armenian parliament to address the issue. However, some of the current proposals would severely impact journalists’ ability to cover stories of public interest.