News - Gulf states block BlackBerry functions

[HEXUS]

Ban on emailing and sending IM from BlackBerry devices decided in Gulf states.

Read more.

[OilSheikh]

In the Middle-East, all the countries are Islamic countries. And, in Islam, adultery is prohibited. As such, porn sites are blocked.

I think as the BB connections don't go through a ISP, ppl in those countries can watch porn through a BB.

[Platinum]

When will these silly religions grow up and realise its the 21st century :/

[oolon]

when will these silly religions grow up and realise its the 21st century :/

2359

[crossy]

When will these silly religions grow up and realise its the 21st century :/

Erm, hate to get in the way of your xenophobia*, but I think you'll find that the 'requirement' for the law enforcement to get access is a local legal issue, not a religious one, (although I'll be the first to admit that it's difficult to tell which is which when the Saudi's are involved [he says - being a xenophobe]).

*

Maybe I'm taking the simple/naive view, but if the UAE/Saudi police have "reasonable cause" (i.e. aren't on a fishing expedition) and the person of interest is in their country then I can't see why RIM should refuse a request for info. Surely that's a similar arrangement to the one I guess the FBI, DHS, MI5, etc have.

Bob

[Platinum]

, Wars and fighting over whos beliefs are the best is just plain silly.

[spoon_]

2359

Sounds about right, no?

[pp05]

Some countries want the ability to snoop through all communications. Given BB servers are outside of those states it makes it difficult to do this. Other countries want to have the same ability including India.

[OilSheikh]

Like I said, it's not abt controlling information. These countries ain't that technically advanced to do phishing and snooping. It's about blocking porn.

[Mattus]

Like I said, it's not abt controlling information. These countries ain't that technically advanced to do phishing and snooping. It's about blocking porn.

I'm sure they would have the technical capability! At the end of the day it simply requires the funding. Saudi Arabia isn't the third world - it's a powerful nation with plenty of money. And the UAE has a higher GDP per capita than the United States.

[crossy]

Like I said, it's not abt controlling information. These countries ain't that technically advanced to do phishing and snooping. It's about blocking porn.

That's only a part of the justification - the "headline" reason (especially in Saudi) is for keeping tabs on the insurgents/fundamentalists.

Not being an expert or anything, but surely pr0n on a Blackberry isn't going to be that "thrilling", or do the folks out there have low expectations?

Plus, if I was you I'd keep very quiet about the pr0n angle - otherwise our government is going to want block/oversight rights too.

Bob

[leexgx]

these RIM phones support VPN so just need an link out side of the state to bring back all of the features back on (Company's would know how to do this quite quickly)

[Saracen]

.....

Plus, if I was you I'd keep very quiet about the pr0n angle - otherwise our government is going to want block/oversight rights too.

THE last thing our (UK) government want is to block these types of communications. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but my view is that if they wanted them blocked, they'd be blocked. Instead, they moan and bitch about not being able to intercept some encrypted comms, which of course means that people to hide continue using them, in the (perhaps mistaken) belief that they're safe. So the question is ... do we believe then when they say they can't intercept? Because, if I was running the intercept capability, bitching about not being able to intercept, while merrily intercepting away, is exactly what I'd be doing.

Just about all (and I would say absolutely all but I hedge it just on the off-chance) want to be able to intercept, and in cases of serious crime and national security, I'd say they have a perfectly valid argument, as indeed, does the UAE, etc. On the other hand, citizens have a perfectly justified case in objecting to governments snooping on all their private comms, as a matter of course.

So it's a balance, between genuine crime prevention and security on the one hand, with justified privacy concerns on the other. The problem is .... give many, including our own, governments an inch and that take several light years. We get the RIPA, supposedly to aid with serious crime and national security, and we end up with councils using it to justify several weeks of surveillance on a family they suspected of the heinous and internationally devastating crime of not actually, really living in the catchment area for the school they applied for for their kids. Lock 'em up for life, I say. Then bring back the death penalty, for such recidivist and antisocial criminals. And no... I mean the council, not the family.