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ZDNetGovWeek: Just in case you missed the NSA, the outrage is back

Ah, the NSA. You can always count on revelations about our most-secret intelligence agency to spice up a slow news week. If you're done reading about Apple's iPad Air and Rocketeer-styled Mac Pro, here's your weekly dose of news about stuff that's really been going on forever.
Written by David Gewirtz, Senior Contributing Editor

ZDNet's worldwide team provides global 24/7 technology news and analysis. In addition to my own coverage analysis here in the ZDNet Government column and on ZDNet's DIY-IT, every week I'll bring you a selection of the best government-related articles posted by our intrepid reporters and analysts. Here are some of the most interesting from the last week.

Top stories this week

Tech vendors have role in Internet governance
The IT vendor community, with the likes of Google and Microsoft, turns up in full force at the Internet Governance Forum in Bali this week where delegates discuss the need to keep the Internet trustworthy.

NSA and Mexico: missing facts, reporters are puppets on Snowden's string
The truth about the relationship between Mexican and American leaders is not what the current crop of Snowden-driven outraged reporters and bloggers would have you believe. In fact, they don't seem to know the truth. Read this article, and you'll have the facts they don't.

Merkel wasn't alone: NSA tapped calls of 35 world leaders
The German leader's phone isn't the only line tapped by the U.S. National Security Agency. Dozens of other world leaders' phones were monitored, according to the latest leaks. I'll have more on this story Monday morning — showing that allies spy on each other and have, pretty much forever.

Merkel to Obama: Are you tapping my phone?
In the wake of the NSA leaks, the German chancellor has sought assurances that US secret services have not been listening to her phone calls.

Spain fears NSA is targeting communications data of its citizens
Authorities in Spain believe the NSA is spying on its citizens, following reports of similar surveillance in France.

Other government coverage around ZDNet

Japan rejected NSA requests to tap fibre in 2011: Reports
NSA wanted to extend its international fibre cable taps to Japan in 2011, only to be denied by Tokyo.

What TV licensing decision means for Hong Kong media freedom
Refusal by the Hong Kong government to grant a license to operate free-to-air television services has been perceived to have wider implications, and Mainland China's influence, on the freedom of speech in the territory.

Youths express hope for their countries in Internet era
What does the Internet mean for the next generation? Bryan Tan speaks with two young IT professionals from Nepal and Trinidad and Tobago at the Internet Governance Forum this week in Bali, Indonesia.

'Today's tax systems were conceived in a pre-computer age': Europe ponders digital tax rethink
Europe is looking to sort out the online firms that avoid paying their fair share of tax on the continent.

Dubai thinks big with plan to turn itself into a wi-fi connected smart city
A plan to blanket Dubai with wi-fi and introduce smart systems to underpin education, healthcare and other public services is getting underway.

Bureau of Meteorology looks to managed email
The Australian Bureau of Metorology is looking to switch from an on-premises Exchange hosting to a managed solution.

Arbor Networks, Google draw digital-attack map
Distributed Denial of Service attacks are increasing by leaps and bounds. Arbor Networks and Google make it possible for you to see just how bad it is.

India 'ransomware capital' of APAC, with cyberfraud at $4B in 2013
The country had 11 percent of cybercrime victims falling to this form of virtual extortion and saw an 8 percent rise in average cost per victim to US$207, according to the 2013 Norton Report.

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