Back in the USSR: Snowden leaves West behind, anonymous wifi makes Russians sing and shout [Government IT Week]
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
AR + VR
We're all Russian this week. Yes, we know the USSR is long gone, but some of these things are starting to make PutinLand seem a lot more like the Moscow of old. And what about the US? Well, shockingly, there's nothing incredibly stupid from the American goverment that tops the news of the week. Don't complain. That's rare enough, these days.
Russia bans anonymous wifi
[UPDATED] Users will be required to provide a full name and ID and to identify hardware.
Oracle blocking Java installs in Russia
UPDATED. Reports indicate that users in Russia who attempt to download and install Java are being told that a government embargo forbids it.
Russia grants Snowden three-year residence
Snowden's Russian lawyer says the former US intelligence contractor will be free to travel abroad under the terms of a residency permit he has received.
Other government coverage around ZDNet
Turnbull admits limitations of data retention proposal
More holes appear in the government's mandatory data retention proposal as Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull admits the tech-savvy will know how to avoid having their IP addresses logged against sites they visit, while the scheme may still be costly and impractical.
FCC gives another green light for nationwide Text-to-911 support
The FCC didn't provide an estimate as to how many lives have been saved by the extra resource, but the agency did highlight the potential and benefits for consumers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled.
Data retention laws increase privacy breach risk: Pilgrim
Australia's Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim, has warned that the retention of large amounts of data will inevitably increase the chances of a privacy breach occurring.
Turnbull rules out browsing history for data retention
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has moved to correct the record on what telecommunications companies will be required to retain under a mandatory data retention regime.
Symantec, Kaspersky clarify China ban
Responding to reports that their products have been banned by the Chinese government, the security vendors say the restrictions do not apply to local governments and large enterprises in the country.
Cyber defender Brandis is proving unfit for purpose
The minister responsible for leading cabinet discussions about Australia's cybersecurity can't even explain a web address. May God have mercy on our souls.
Turnbull and Brandis meet with ISPs on data retention
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that he and Attorney-General George Brandis are meeting with telecommunications companies today to discuss the government's controversial mandatory data retention proposal.
Free service gives decryption keys to Cryptolocker victims
Thanks to a couple of security firms, users can unencrypt their Cryptolocked files without paying the ransom.
Brandis ditches conference after disastrous data retention interview
Attorney-General George Brandis has pulled out of speaking at the Human Rights Commission's Free Speech conference today following a disastrous TV interview last night where he admitted that website visits would be included in mandatory data retention.
Top gov't spyware company hacked; Gamma's FinFisher leaked
The maker of secretive FinFisher spyware — sold exclusively to governments and police agencies — has been hacked, revealing its clients, prices and its effectiveness across an unbelievable span of apps, operating systems and more.
US contractor firm that vetted Snowden suffers major breach; data likely snatched
A major contractor of the US Dept. of Homeland Security suffers a major breach, months after it was accused of faking hundreds of thousands of background checks.
Brazilian government to pay $1.9m to app and game developers
Competition launched by the Ministry of Communications will reward 50 projects focusing on public services.