Shahzoor Ali
Hear we go again, this is not the first time India acting really weird on this issue but this is their second time. I’m pretty sure and our IT “intelligence” are/should be aware of RIM surety that they never ever going to do what Indian Government wants them to do. Don’t worry guys this would pass and we could use BlackBerry services with no hassles – as my experience. India had problems with Google Maps when they launched apart from that smoking and tobacco (ghutka) none of them are banned yet.
Couple of months back, Saudi Arabia approached RIM with the same issue of availing to monitor the data goes through BlackBerry network and RIM refused to do so but still Saudi Arabia continued with the BlackBerry data service.
PRESS RELEASE –
NEW DELHI: India has given Internet telephony pioneer Skype and the makers of BlackBerry handsets a deadline to fall into line with strict security-monitoring regulations or be blocked, a report said.
India’s intelligence officials have long complained that they are unable to decipher encrypted data sent on Blackberry handsets, made by Canadian firm Research In Motion, or intercept calls on Skype.
The government has threatened to ban or block BlackBerry and Skype services if the companies fail to adhere to a 15-day deadline to make data available in formats that can be monitored, a leading business newspaper said.
Google has been asked to ensure emails on its Gmail service can be deciphered, though no deadline has been issued, the paper said.
“The latest development indicates that security agencies are again finding it difficult to intercept or decipher messages sent through BlackBerry phones,” the paper said.
The Indian telecommunications ministry was unable to comment when contacted by AFP.
India, which faces a strengthening home-grown Maoist insurgency and constant threats from Islamist groups, is highly sensitive about the potential risks of technology.
The government has been restricting imports from Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers because of Indian intelligence agency fears that “spyware” could be embedded in the equipment.
It has also restricted the use of mobile phones in violence-wracked Indian Kashmir, where pay-as-you-go phones and the use of text messages have been curtailed. The area is a hotbed of anti-India activity.
“India’s intelligence officials have long complained that they are unable to decipher encrypted data sent on Blackberry handsets, made by Canadian firm Research In Motion…”
Hahaha, they seriously even tried to do that? RIM has the most secured and since years they are open to give $$$$ whoever breaks it.
India seriously need to give security for their own Govt. servers which is NOT AT ALL highly protected.