BlackBerry email, web and messaging to be banned in UAE due to 'security concerns'
By Vlad Savov 
posted August 1st 2010 10:41AM
posted August 1st 2010 10:41AM
posted August 1st 2010 10:41AM
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What about blackpad?
@Scrubs
Blackberries in the UAE are now officially dumbphones.
@Scrubs
and is obama gunna fight to have that to? Lol
@Scrubs They were also going to ban the iPhone but Apple had already ensured that the iPhone doesn't make phone calls so they left it out of this legislation.
@Scrubs never been happier to be an American
@Jordus I think they will allow iPhone depending on how UAE citizens and terrorists hold it.
@Canucker
Um you're being ignorant. Don't confuse the UAE with the KSA.
I'm from neither, for the record.
This isn't any different from the Patriot Act. Except it only applies to BlackBerrys instead of your whole life.
@Canucker
I know they have really cool tourist attractions too.imagine their gas prices ....
@samisax Seriously if this is so irrelevant and evil where were all of you when the patriot act was passed which is so much more damaging to freedoms there is no comparison.. Lmao everyone wants to be an armchair political analyst nowadays Bush is retired your all a lil late
@Celz, dont act like the average person could have done a single thing to stop that bill. They (bush monkies) were gonna pass that come hell or high water. Much like they were bound and determined to Get "their share" of iraq.
@Jean Marc RIM has released US customer data in the past when requested, so I don't see how this is any different. The only thing I could think of is that maybe UAE is asking for instant access to the data, so they can pull it up whenever they want. In the US, the gov't has to request it from RIM first before they can get it, so there's a slight delay depending on how fast RIM wants to be.
God bless RIM for not caving. You can tell those mideast governments really hate the internet and any kind of mass communication especially encrypted, because they hate the free exchange of ideas especially originating from countries outside their own.
I don't buy the "terrorist" argument, thats such an overused word like the boogeyman that governments now just apply to anyone they don't like. Not like "terrorists" are going to be communicating anything secret in a literal sense, unencrypted or otherwise. It'll be really sly encrypted stuff like "the market opens at noon tomorrow" rather than literally saying "get your ass down to the market with a bomb vest and blow yourself into pizza toppings."
@samisax
For all of you trying to say the Patriot Act is worse...
At least the US government doesn't ban services and products that don't allow easy access to obtaining data. They may want to snoop, but you are not forced to make it easy for them like these countries want.
@Narutogrey
You are 100% correct. The biggest difference the reason this is a problem is that the UAE wants constant control and ability to alway see what the person is doing on their blackberry. They want to be able to play "big brother" for lack of better words, for which RIM is saying no.
That is why they are getting banned.
@MisterWarmth
You said bomb on the internet!
Terrorist!!
@Jean Marc
Ever heard of CALEA? I love it when people make ignorant comments thinking they are actually more "free" and don't realize that they are already subject to the same restrictions other countries (UAE, India) are now planning to use.
FYI, Wikipedia states: "CALEA's purpose is to enhance the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have built-in surveillance capabilities, allowing federal agencies to monitor all telephone, broadband internet, and VoIP traffic in real-time."
@Rydsmith "They want to be able to play "big brother" for lack of better words, for which RIM is saying no."
So you mean like Pak is saying "you dawg lemme get root" and RIM is like "step off homey, ain't fo you no how".
@bravokiloromeo Well, a smart dumbphone or a dumb smartphone...
@MisterWarmth boogeyman?! 100 coalition soldiers died in Afghanistan in June, probably another 100 this month, how can you say terrorists dont exist... fucking liberal.
@Celz Just because Bush is no longer the President doesn't mean the law is gone. So the argument is still valid.
FYI, Obama extended the Patriot Act...
@Irondog Yep, just like the Health Care Bill...
@samisax
Well, at least in the US sites like Engadget don't censor comments unless they are truly offensive. Oh... wait... 500+ comments and the only one removed was in this thread which referred to women's rights in UAE.
F-em. If they want to live in 1990 with POP, let 'em. There is no excuse for a western carrier to compromise it's ethics to appease those bastards. (Bastards referring to those governments, not the people of those countries)
@Smurf How can you say that without properly assessing the other side's point of view? The reason they are doing this is because in countries like the UAE blackberries are becoming very popular among general audiences, and not just business men/women. Blackberries are meant for that and they way they are being used now over there are just ridiculous, everyone just buys a Blackberry because of the Blackberry messenger and use that. In the beginning it was fine, but now after they added the feature that lets you send a message to a bunch of people, lots of rumors have been spread which are completely whack such as lies about people dying or new laws being made. This much more serious than it looks in my post, and I'm all for this.
@Jitaroo Thank God rumours and gossip aren't spread in any other countries by using BBM, or email, or Twitter, or Facebook, or Perez Hilton...
@Jitaroo Oh no! You mean regular people use blackbaries for their PRIVATE PURPOSES?! That's a crime! Oh it has social elements built into it? Holy crap, we need to burn them all!
Oh, the wonders of the Islamic revolution.
Seriously, eff you.
@Smurf
Do you even realize why they're doing this? The UAE is one of the few countries that hasn't experienced the terrorism of other middle eastern countries. Can't blame 'em for wanting to keep it that way.
Can't believe you're so blindsighted to claim that a Western company doesn't have to oblige to other country's requests. RIM does sell in that market, so they should be required to follow the laws regulated in the country.
@Jitaroo "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin
@Jitaroo So... why shouldn't people be able to spread rumors? Oh yeah I forgot their government is a dictatorship draped in religion.
@max3000 Well, I'm a Muslim. And I can say this banning is because they can't control which sites you can browse by the BB service. For us browsing porn sites or so is haram, and for the government to not control the service and ban this site is also haram, so that's why UAE is banning the service, but they will allow for a service allowing the BB users to reach the internet but in a controlled way.
@Aaquibn I see, so that is the price one has to pay to stay "safe", no thanks, I think that there are many other ways to protect a country from terrorists than to crack down on peoples liberty.
RIM is a big company and should try to throw their weight around and help their customers have more free access to information. I think that if a government doesn't want you to have access to something as simple as a blackberry, they are up to no good.
@Smurf
Jackass! BB is being misused by terror groups! If you don't have enough information don't talk bullshit. I am from India and we are facing the same issue! This has become a big problem for us and our government had almost banned BB. But 1-2 days back RIM assured India that it will work towards giving Indian govt access to the encrypted mails. When the lives of hundreds are at stake, I don't give two hoots to a company. Neither do governments. Remember USA war since 2001?
@krishansy
Dude but one terrorist is not very likely to E-mail to another terrorist " Hey Morehammad, let's bomb the place like we agreed" he will probably just say "we are still on" or something of the sort. That will not help government prevent terror.
@krishansy
Keep signing away any liberties you have in the futile search for absolute "security."
The US has done much of the same, unfortunately, but we haven't gotten that bad (yet). It's one of the reasons I'm glad I live here, and that my parents moved here from India. Much better.
@Sea Urchin
Dude, this HAPPENED! This also happened in Mumbai attacks (a few months before the attack). That was when the govt brought up this issue with BB. I dislike whenever freedom of citizens are compromised but I can see the bigger picture here. I will happily let go of my privacy to stay secured.
@o7o one thing I never understood about Muslims, especially countries where the government is based on it, why they feel the need to be parents for all the followers? I mean isn't there such a thing as free will like other religions?
Also I doubt any of the royal families will get hit with this ban due to the fact that they do so much business with the west that they always want to stay in contact.
@Aaquibn
They are doing to maintain control over their population, silence free expression and any dissent. There is no terrorism in the UAE because they have lots of money and can buy their way out of it. RIM should not compromise it's ethics to cater to theocratic, backwards governments. In fact Canada should mount a huge PR campaign/boycott against these countries. (like the Danish cartoons, but in favor or freedom of speech and without all of the violence and dogma) If you don't stand up for freedom of speech, it's lost forever. Tyrants don't just had those rights back.
@Smurf Using this personal information for the protection of national security is the only acceptable use of this information. It does not sound like this information is being requested for a separate government branch solely tasked with national security. These governments must clearly define who will have access to the information before any private information is released. Their application of this intelligence must be made available for critique.
The NSA reads all communication and they do not persecute criminals who do not aim for the widespread killing of Americans and our allies, like drug dealers, embezzlers, etc. If the term 'if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear' applies to anything in the world, it applies to the NSA. The NSA is the enemy of no one but the worst people of the world.
Comparing the US's use of this information to Arab governments use of private information is disgusting. Taking every secret from ever citizen, rather it includes porn, adultery, or any other, what 'they' would consider, crime against society numbs the senses. Governments have no right to make their citizens live in fear for their lives (and limbs) for something so human. Over the next generation, exposure to the internet, the plight of totalitarian regimes, will cause the Arab world (it's civilians) to call for personal liberty. That can't happen soon enough. The men who horde all of their countries' wealth, of which no more extreme example is available than the Middle East, must be brought to justice by the hands of the people they have been exploited for so long.
@o7o Well, that's understandable. But see - I live in Israel and we sell a thing called a 'Kosher Phone'. Simply put - it's a device just like any other but it blocks 'unwanted' content for religious people.
If it was true, they'd offer the same service and leave others alone.
@krishansy
Then you are a coward, see Ben Franklin quote above.
@krishansy
dude the Indian govt just wants BB to provide them a means to access private emails or intercept communication in case of a potential terror attack. Its not to spy on its people.
But the UAE and Saudis want this to spy on their people which is wrong.
@all
Quite amusing reading all of these conspiracy theories.
How can point a finger at other countries when the US has aliens locked up in Area 51?
@o7o It's the year 2010. Not the dark ages. Justifying this is rediculous. I'm soo glad that america has separated religion and state government. Next they will be stoning people for looking at porn.
@AMaench77 Well, there is sure a free will for individuals, but we Muslims prioritize the society over the individual, so you got a free will as long as you don't harm the society and your actions don't interfere with the religious rules, or what we call Shari'a.
@max3000 Well, I don't live in UAE so I can't suggest them to do so :/
@Dev one Well, here at Egypt, we have separate country and religion governments. Can't tell about UAE though :S
@Kenny Fn Powers No Comment!!
@ssguy
...and the governments have sworn their sincere intentions to you? Bottom line is that they want it. Whether they want it to spy, intercept or play ping pong with is their prerogative. All RIM can do is either comply or show them the finger.
Don't be presumptuous enough to advocate claims of one government over the other. They're all lying and scheming bastards who do as they please as and when it is convenient for them.
It makes you look like an idiot.
@Aaquibn
Do you even realize why they're doing this? The UAE is one of the few countries that hasn't experienced the terrorism of other middle eastern countries. Can't blame 'em for wanting to keep it that way.
Can't believe you're so blindsighted to claim that a Western company doesn't have to oblige to other country's requests. RIM does sell in that market, so they should be required to follow the laws regulated in the country.
______________________________________________________
Hey dumb dumb
UAE changed their laws cause they didn't like the fact that their people were talking about sex with their mobile devices. With BB being secure UAE couldn't spy on their own people.
@YB
You wouldnt be saying this if u knew the amount of terrorist attacks India has to face every year becoz of the proxy war Pakistan is waging in Kashmir. And u would be stupid if u think the US or the Canadian govts dont have the means to access the BBN. Even the Russians made BB setup local servers in Russia.