"Saudi Arabia orders a ban on BlackBerry services; Government wary of device’s ability to encrypt data" by Adam Schreck and Erika Kinetz, Associated Press | August 4, 2010
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Saudi state news agency SPA said in a report late yesterday that the country’s telecom regulator has informed mobile service providers in the country that they must halt BlackBerry services starting Friday....
Word of the ban comes just days after the neighboring United Arab Emirates announced it was planning to shut down e-mail, messaging, and Web browsing on BlackBerrys starting in October.
India is also in talks with RIM over how information is managed on the devices.
I suppose in their case it must have been the Pakistani patsies, 'er, terrorists.
Like the UAE, it has cited security concerns in pushing for greater access to encrypted information sent by the phones that gets routed through the Canadian company’s computers overseas.
Here in AmeriKa the IPs hand them over to the government no questions asked -- and have been granted unconstitutional immunity for their trouble.
Saudi Arabia did not spell out its concerns about the devices, though its government is also wary of security threats. As in the UAE, Saudi BlackBerry devices are popular both among businesspeople and youth who see the phones’ relatively secure communication features as a way to avoid attention from the authorities.
And Mossad hit teams.
Earlier yesterday, RIM denied that it had agreed to heightened surveillance of its corporate clients by the Indian government, as talks continue over access to e-mails and other data sent on the devices....
India’s internal security chief, U.K. Bansal, told reporters last week he hoped the issue of BlackBerry monitoring would be sorted out soon, after widespread reports that the government had threatened to ban the devices.
Analysts say RIM’s expansion into fast-growing emerging markets — and the UAE’s recent public showdown with the company — is threatening to set off a wave of regulatory challenges, as RIM’s commitment to information security rubs up against the desires of law enforcement in each country.
RIM has said its discussions with the more than 175 countries where it operates are private.
India and the UAE aren’t alone in wanting more control over BlackBerry messaging. Bahrain has threatened to crack down on spreading news using the devices. And industry analysts say they believe RIM offered China some concessions before the BlackBerry was introduced there.--more--"
"Indonesia, too, may ban BlackBerries" by Associated Press | August 5, 2010
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia said yesterday it is considering following the lead of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in banning BlackBerry services, adding to pressure on device maker Research in Motion Ltd. to give governments greater access to data.
Gatot Dewabroto, spokesman for the Ministry of Communication and Information, expressing concern that information could be used by criminals or spies:
“We don’t know whether data being sent through BlackBerrys can be intercepted or read by third parties outside the country.’’
The announcement came hours after Saudi Arabia said its telecom regulator had ordered mobile operators across the kingdom to halt BlackBerry services as of tomorrow. The United Arab Emirates, too, plans to shut down e-mail, messaging, and Web browsing on BlackBerrys starting in October. India is in talks with RIM over how data is managed on the devices.
Analysts say RIM’s expansion into fast-growing emerging markets is threatening to set off a wave of regulatory challenges, as the device maker’s commitment to keep corporate e-mail secure rubs up against the desires of local law enforcement.
RIM has said discussions with the more than 175 countries where it operates are private. It does offer help to governments, but says its technology does not allow it, or any third party, to read encrypted e-mails sent by corporate BlackBerry users. (The consumer version has a lower level of security.)
Yes, CORPORATIONS always come before YOU, dear citizen!
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That's the same photo as before.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia and the makers of the BlackBerry have reached a preliminary deal on granting access to users’ data that will avert a ban on the phone’s messenger service in the kingdom, Saudi officials said yesterday.
The agreement would probably involve placing a BlackBerry server inside Saudi Arabia to allow the government to monitor messages and allay official fears the service could be used for criminal purposes, the telecom regulatory officials said....
You now, I just found myself wondering how that war in Yemen is going.
Some places just fall right off the old MSM radar.
The deal could have wide-ranging implications for several other countries, including India and the United Arab Emirates, which have expressed similar concerns over how the BlackBerry maker handles data.
Saudi security officials fear the service could be used by militant groups to avoid detection. The kingdom has been waging a crackdown for years against Al Qaeda-linked extremists.
Or Mossad hit squads.
The kingdom also enforces heavy policing of the Internet, blocking sites both for political content and for obscenities....
They can't read me there?
The kingdom is one of a number of countries expressing concern that the device is a security threat because encrypted information sent on the phones is routed through overseas computers — making it difficult, if not impossible, for local governments to monitor.
Critics, however, maintain that Saudi Arabia and other countries are also motivated by the desire to further curb freedom of expression and strengthen tight controls over the media....
Yeah, right, whatever.
Consider the source and the agenda it pushes (or obfuscates).
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Yeah, you should see the other guy.
Yeah, somehow THAT STORY does NOT MAKE my Globe.
