DUBAI/RIYADH, (Reuters) – Over a million BlackBerry users face being cut off from key services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE after authorities stepped up demands on maker Research In Motion for access to encrypted messages sent on the smartphone.
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.
“Certain BlackBerry services allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns,” the United Arab Emirates’ Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said in a statement.
The UAE said it would suspend BlackBerry Messenger, email and web browser services from October 11 until a fix was found while industry sources said Saudi Arabia had ordered local telecom firms to freeze Messenger this month.
Sunday’s moves cap wrangling with regulators over the issue which began in 2007.
