A list of countries considering BlackBerry bans over security concerns

[Robbien]

Source: AP

- Saudi Arabia - The kingdom's telecom regulator has ordered a halt to BlackBerry service across the kingdom, expected to begin at midnight Friday (5 p.m. EDT Friday).

- United Arab Emirates - The Persian Gulf state plans to shut down e-mail, messaging and Web browsing on BlackBerrys starting in October. It says it's still in talks with Research In Motion Ltd., the Canadian maker of the device.

- Indonesia - The Southeast Asian country wants RIM to place a server in its country because it fears that e-mails could be intercepted as they pass through RIM's servers overseas. It is considering banning the service, but has no firm plans.

- India - The country of almost 1.2 billion people is in talks with RIM, also seeking more control over the data.

- Lebanon - The country says it is reviewing whether BlackBerry service raises any security concerns for it.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012552276_apblackberrycrackdownglance.html?syndication=rss

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Since BlackBerrys are what the US government uses, this may be a problem.

[aquart]

1. The Saudis want to read US gov't emails?

My reaction is........no.

[Vincardog]

2. The issue is that the Saudi's and the UAE can't crack and track the BlackBerrys.

Emirati authorities say the move is based on security concerns because BlackBerry data are automatically shipped to company computers abroad, where it is difficult for local authorities to monitor for illegal activity or abuse.

Critics of the crackdown say it is also a way for the country's conservative government to further control content it deems politically or morally objectionable.

[Robbien]

3. Doesn't the NSA monitor BlackBerrys

as it monitors all other telecommunication in the US?

If they can, why are other countries having a problem.

[Pavulon]

4. NSA monitors Foreign and Domestic communications

on all medium. These guys are upset because they can get the logs to find gays, adultery, blasphemers, and other social groups they view as a threat to their government.

[Vincardog]

5. The other countries want to monitor them themselves. Would YOU trust the NSA?

[Robbien]

7. But if the NSA can monitor it

then Blackberry's can be monitored. Therefore the other countries can set up their own system to monitor it.

Where's the fault in my thinking?

[Pavulon]

8. Everything can be monitored.

they could intercept it in flight but it would cost more. They want it handed to them.

[Vincardog]

9. Did you ever stop to think that the Corporations are cooperating with the NSA and not with the

Saudis or the UAE?

[Abq_Sarah]

10. Exactly

The UAE, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, etc... want to be able to crack secure BB data so they can monitor emails and other traffic. RIM's system doesn't have a master key so it makes it much more difficult and expensive to crack their codes. A couple of years ago, a UAE telcom tried to sneak in a "software update" that would allow them to monitor RIM traffic. Apparently, it also caused a spike in power usage causing the users to look at the software (and remove it).

[Earth_First]

6. Gee, now who could stand to benefit from this...?

Google/android market...

:shrug:

[Posteritatis]

14. The real target is encryption, which any competently-made handheld will be using anyway. (nt)

[damntexdem]

11. Ban the raspberry!

;-)

[cosmicone]

12. Terrorists use it too ...

Pakistani terrorists in India routinely use blackberries (like in the Mumbai attacks on 26-November) and then the US government refuses to hand over the intercepted data for fear of embarrassing Pakistan.

It took 18 months for India to get the data.

[Recursion]

13. By "security problem" they mean "we can't read our people's emails" NT

[fleabert]

15. bingo.

i lived in the uae for 2 years- this is exactly what it's about.