India issues ultimatum over BlackBerry ban

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 12 Aug 2010 at 15:12

Research In Motion's BlackBerry email and instant messaging services in India will be shut down by the end of the month if the manufacturer fails to address the state's security concerns, according to officials.

The ultimatum came after the interior secretary, India's top civil servant for internal security, held talks with intelligence officials and state-run telecom operators about how to gain access to the encrypted content.

In a matter weeks, the BlackBerry device - long the darling of businesses and politicians - has become a pariah in many countries due to fears that militants could use the ecrypted messaging service to organise attacks.

The Indian government said if its demands were not met then mobile phone operators would be required by law to stop BlackBerry email and instant messaging services running through their networks.

"If a technical solution is not provided by 31 August 2010, the Government will review the position and take steps to block these two services from the network," an official statement said.

India's demands follow a deal with Saudi Arabia, where a source said RIM had agreed to give the authorities codes that would identify BlackBerry Messenger users. The United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Algeria are also seeking access.

A shutdown would affect a million of the smartphone's 41 million users, but India is one of RIM's fastest growing markets and if a shutdown takes effect, BlackBerry users in India would only be able to use the devices for calls and internet browsing.

In a deal that would echo the agreement with Saudi Arabia, India wants access in a readable format to encrypted BlackBerry communication, on grounds it could be used by militants.