Holding back the inevitable with that old medieval tenacity, Saudi Arabia and the UAE plan to cut off over a million BlackBerry users from using various functions as both countries demand that manufacturer Research In Motion provide access to encrypted messages, says Reuters, which adds:
"BlackBerry's Messenger application has spread rapidly in the Gulf Arab region but because the data is encrypted and sent to offshore servers, it cannot be tracked locally."
Here's the AP report on this.
If it stands, the move certainly will cause embarrassment for business and tourism leaders in Dubai, which has brilliantly positioned itself as a major business center in the Middle East. One of the world's most robustly growing airlines, Emirates, is based in Dubai.
Meanwhile, says the BBC in a report on this: "Media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders told the BBC last week that while the UAE was playing a `technological leadership role in the Arab world', this was backed by 'repressive laws' and a 'general trend of intensified surveillance.'"
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