16 ms·

Dubai and Saudi Arabia to Block BlackBerry Messaging

28 points by riffer 16y ago

GiraffeNecktie 16y ago
And it's also an issue in India: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/BlackBerry-agrees-to-address-Indias-security-concerns-MHA/articleshow/6232306.cms http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/B...
- todayiamme 16y ago
  I remember laughing my head off when it hit the papers. In my opinion no in their right minds should never ever reveal publicly what their security apparatus can't do. They might as well have shot themselves in the head.
  - cma 16y ago
    Maybe it is a bluff.
    - todayiamme 16y ago
      That is definitely a possibility, but I think that the details were leaked out or something. Moreover, what was telling was the fact that there are now mandatory background checks before you can own a blackberry. On the other hand, I am pretty sure that they must have bought the technology by now. What makes me doubt it even more is that this is a security establishment in which it's an open secret that people "accidently" burn files in order to prevent implication (I've seen the fires. One of the intelligence records buildings was next to my mother's office). The core intelligence group is quite lean and sophisticated, but a lot of the establishment is just corrupt bureaucrats on the take.
  - kragen 16y ago
    If you have a secret cryptoanalysis capability, then using data obtained from it in court will render it no longer secret, and it is no good for intimidating people. Having a nonsecret capability to do the same thing solves these problems.
    - todayiamme 16y ago
      Yes, but telling people that you don't have it is another matter all together. It's quite okay to show off your defenses, but it's a completely different ball game when it comes to showing off your weaknesses.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
davidmurphy 16y ago
Dubai and the rest of the UAE just lost a lot of international respect and standing as a business hub, if you ask me.
- kmfrk 16y ago
  And Blackberry gained a lot of nice PR, so it's not all bad.
- tjmc 16y ago
  Indeed. I think they got away with the $100 billion property bubble collapse, sovereign default and people thrown into debtor prison, but the business world will really notice this one!
- vkdelta 16y ago
  because of this blackberry issue?
  - kloncks 16y ago
    ...what else would it be?
macrael 16y ago
I guess the tech they are not blocking (texts, phone, email) they feel confident they can snoop.
danbmil99 16y ago
Betcha some smart-asses took out shorts on RIM and longs on Apple right before this bullshit.
nickcharlton 16y ago
It's not simply businesses that are effected. Overall, it is young people who use BlackBerry's in the UAE. The two carriers (Etisalat & Du) have pushed them heavily here. They allow young people to talk to each other without actually talking - which would be taboo. If you go anywhere in the UAE, nearly all you can see is BlackBerry's. People spend more than half of their time messaging each other, email or otherwise. I think the Gulf states are trying to apply their power to make RIM play their game. The states will succeed if RIM thinks it's a worthwhile market to stay in.
kqueue 16y ago
I bet the government is interested in all the gossip that goes around on BlackBerry service.
iuguy 16y ago
This will be largely driven by morality concerns in Saudi Arabia. If they can't monitor the comms then they can't see whether or not young unmarried men and women are talking to each other, which means that they will. It'll eventually get lifted I imagine, there was a similar think with cameraphones that was ineffectively enforced years back in kingdom.

28 points by riffer 16y ago

And it's also an issue in India: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/BlackBerry-agrees-to-address-Indias-security-concerns-MHA/articleshow/6232306.cms http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/B...

todayiamme 16y ago
I remember laughing my head off when it hit the papers. In my opinion no in their right minds should never ever reveal publicly what their security apparatus can't do. They might as well have shot themselves in the head.
- cma 16y ago
  Maybe it is a bluff.
  - todayiamme 16y ago
    That is definitely a possibility, but I think that the details were leaked out or something. Moreover, what was telling was the fact that there are now mandatory background checks before you can own a blackberry. On the other hand, I am pretty sure that they must have bought the technology by now. What makes me doubt it even more is that this is a security establishment in which it's an open secret that people "accidently" burn files in order to prevent implication (I've seen the fires. One of the intelligence records buildings was next to my mother's office). The core intelligence group is quite lean and sophisticated, but a lot of the establishment is just corrupt bureaucrats on the take.
- kragen 16y ago
  If you have a secret cryptoanalysis capability, then using data obtained from it in court will render it no longer secret, and it is no good for intimidating people. Having a nonsecret capability to do the same thing solves these problems.
  - todayiamme 16y ago
    Yes, but telling people that you don't have it is another matter all together. It's quite okay to show off your defenses, but it's a completely different ball game when it comes to showing off your weaknesses.

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

davidmurphy 16y ago

Dubai and the rest of the UAE just lost a lot of international respect and standing as a business hub, if you ask me.

kmfrk 16y ago
And Blackberry gained a lot of nice PR, so it's not all bad.
tjmc 16y ago
Indeed. I think they got away with the $100 billion property bubble collapse, sovereign default and people thrown into debtor prison, but the business world will really notice this one!
vkdelta 16y ago
because of this blackberry issue?
- kloncks 16y ago
  ...what else would it be?

macrael 16y ago

I guess the tech they are not blocking (texts, phone, email) they feel confident they can snoop.

danbmil99 16y ago

Betcha some smart-asses took out shorts on RIM and longs on Apple right before this bullshit.

nickcharlton 16y ago

It's not simply businesses that are effected. Overall, it is young people who use BlackBerry's in the UAE. The two carriers (Etisalat & Du) have pushed them heavily here. They allow young people to talk to each other without actually talking - which would be taboo. If you go anywhere in the UAE, nearly all you can see is BlackBerry's. People spend more than half of their time messaging each other, email or otherwise. I think the Gulf states are trying to apply their power to make RIM play their game. The states will succeed if RIM thinks it's a worthwhile market to stay in.

kqueue 16y ago

I bet the government is interested in all the gossip that goes around on BlackBerry service.

iuguy 16y ago

This will be largely driven by morality concerns in Saudi Arabia. If they can't monitor the comms then they can't see whether or not young unmarried men and women are talking to each other, which means that they will. It'll eventually get lifted I imagine, there was a similar think with cameraphones that was ineffectively enforced years back in kingdom.