"RIM is being pressured by authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India and other countries to provide greater access to the encrypted information sent by its devices. Saudi Arabia has ordered its cellphone providers to halt BlackBerry service beginning Friday. The U.A.E. has set a ban starting in October, though the government said it is open to discussions."
RIM’s co-CEO Mike Lazaridis commented on the recent multiple bans on their BlackBerry smartphones. Lazaridis said that “this is about the Internet,” and that “everything on the Internet is encrypted. This not a BlackBerry-only issue,” before adding that if “they can’t deal with the Internet, they should shut it off.” But that’s not all. Lazaridis further went on to saying that “we’re going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet,” noting that “a lot of these people don’t have Ph.Ds, and they don’t have a degree in computer science.” Despite those statements, however, Lazaridis seems confident that the situation will get sorted out, saying that it “will get resolved if there is a chance for rational discussion.”
Hmm… sounds to me like he’s not very happy and doesn’t wish to collaborate with them. Actually, that is very true. If the Middle East powerhouse wants to ban the BlackBerry, they might as well ban all the smartphones like Apple’s iPhone and HTC’s Android phones too. Who would in his sane mind allow a breach in their customers’ content privacy?
"Officials in the U.A.E. also held out the possibility of a negotiated solution. "We remain open to discussions in order that an acceptable, regulatory-compliant solution might be developed and applied," Mohammed Al Ghanem, director general of the U.A.E.'s telecom regulator said in a statement carried by the state news agency WAM. But the decision "to suspend certain BlackBerry services from October 11 is final," said Mr. Ghanem."
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