BlackBerry latest: blocked in UAE; not blocked in India

Over the weekend it emerged that United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a ban on BlackBerry services across the country from October 11 after manufacturer RIM failed to provide the government with any access to the data encrypted within the networks.

Note: this isn’t a ban on BlackBerry devices out right, as I understand it, instead it is services like BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) which allow companies to maintain access to and usage email and other services across a network of BlackBerry phones.

Bloomberg has details of the UAE blockage:

BlackBerry devices, introduced in the U.A.E. in 2006, allow users to send messages that can’t be monitored, violating the country’s 2007 Safety, Emergency and National Security rules, the regulator said last week. Although such communications should fall under the remit of that law, encryption allows them to avoid monitoring, it said today.

Analysts believe the situation is likely to be resolved in a similar manner to India, where RIM is being encouraged to develop a local proxy-server to allow the India government access to information, so says Indian Express (via Yahoo):

Research In Motion’s BlackBerry service may be banned in India unless the Canadian company agrees to resolve security concerns, according to a government official with direct knowledge of the matter. India has told RIM to set up a proxy server in the country to enable security agencies to monitor e-mail traffic, according to three government officials, who declined to be identified as the information is confidential.

Reuters is also reporting that “a solution will be found soon”.

RIM has come to agreements with a number of governments in similar circumstances

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