Blackberry banned in UAE and Saudi
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are set to suspend the use of blackberries later this year. The UAE will suspend BlackBerry Messenger, email and web browser services from October 11th until a suitable solution is found.
The use of Blackberry messenger has been restricted as countries are unable to monitor this via the handset. Blackberry handsets automatically send out encrypted data to services that are located offshore, which cannot be monitored or tracked locally. The data goes beyond the control of national legislation. This has initiated security concerns from both countries, which echo concerns voiced in the past from other countries.
Security issues have been plaguing Blackberry and their service provided Research in Motion (RIM) from as far back as 2007. Countries believe that the content of messages may be morally objective or politically undesirable leaving them exposed to potential terrorism and security threats. According to the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, UAE, “Certain BlackBerry services allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns,”
RIM Chief Technology Officer David Yach declined to comment on discussions with specific governments.”I believe they’ll have trouble pulling the trigger to shut down BlackBerry,” Yach said. “Most governments in the world rely on BlackBerry.”
There are almost 700,000 blackberry users in Saudi Arabia and 500,000 in the UAE which by restricting their use may jeopardise business in both countries. Many foreign professionals rely on Blackberry’s as a primary source of communication and constraints will therefore hinder the general course of business. It will also impact foreign visitors using roaming services.
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