UAE plans to block BlackBerry functions
By Adam Schreck |
August 2, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE United Arab Emirates yesterday said it will block key features on BlackBerry smartphones, citing national security concerns because the devices operate beyond the government's ability to monitor their use.
The decision could block e-mail and Internet access for hundreds of thousands of users in the Mideast commercial hub starting in October.
BlackBerry data is encrypted and routed overseas, and the measure could be motivated in part by government fears that the messaging system could be exploited by terrorists or other criminals who cannot be monitored by the local authorities.
However, analysts and activists also see it as an attempt to more tightly control the flow of information in the country, a United States ally that is home to the Gulf business capital Dubai and the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi.
In announcing the ban, the UAE telecommunications watchdog said it will suspend BlackBerry messaging, e-mail and web browsing services starting October 11. It was unclear if the ban would affect only local users or foreign visitors with roaming services as well.
The government said it is singling out the BlackBerry, and not other phones that can access e-mail, because the devices are the only phones that automatically send users' data to servers overseas.
Emirati authorities are eager to portray an image of the country as a safe, stable society free from the extremism found elsewhere in the region.
Regulators said they have sought compromises with BlackBerry maker Research in Motion on their concerns, but failed to reach an agreement on the issue.
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