Determined that no telephone conversation or data message should be beyond its reach, the United Arab Emirates has become the first country to announce that it will ban BlackBerry services. The mobile devices’ secure encryption technology is not only a big selling point for Research in Motion, the company that makes them. It is also a thorn in the side of UAE authorities who, unable to eavesdrop, have branded RIM as non-compliant with UAE regulations.
Like all governments, the UAE has a legitimate reason for wanting access to private telecommunication records in the case of criminal or national security threats. And the Emirates may face more such threats than many other states. It is a relatively open country in a volatile and oppressed region. It is exposed to the two destabilising forces of Iran and of jihadi terrorism. And with a growth model partly built on being a tourist, business and financial hub, its economy is more than commonly vulnerable to crime.
The Emirati strategy has been to leave the country open to most comers but keep everyone under close watch. The loophole provided by BlackBerry services, which are encrypted and sent to RIM’s offshore servers, has clearly grown far too big for the UAE’s comfort.
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