State "disappointed" by Mideast Blackberry ban

The State Department said Monday it was "disappointed" by the United Arab Emirates' decision to ban key Blackberry messaging services due to security concerns even as other nations threatened to take similar action.

The Gulf state's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) confirmed Sunday it would suspend Blackberry Messenger, Blackberry e-mail and Blackberry Web-browsing services in the UAE starting October 11 due to security concerns. Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering a similar action, while India, Kuwait and Bahrain have also expressed concern about their inability to monitor messages transmitted using the devices.

"We are disappointed to hear of the UAE plan to suspend Blackberry mobile services as well as reports that neighboring countries may follow suit," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. "This move hinders the free flow of information, which is integral to an innovative economy."

"The suspension is a result of the failure of ongoing attempts, dating back to 2007, to bring Blackberry services in the UAE in line with UAE telecommunications regulations," said the TRA in a statement. "Blackberry data is immediately exported off-shore, where it is managed by a foreign, commercial organization. Blackberry data services are currently the only data services operating in the UAE where this is the case. Today’s decision is based on the fact that, in their current form, certain Blackberry services allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns for the UAE."

Ontario-based Research In Motion, which manufactures the Blackberry, avoided discussing the ban directly in a statement but reaffirmed its commitment to providing users with secure messaging capabilities. The company's stock (RIMM) fell more than 2 percent in morning trading before recovering in the afternoon; at the time of this posting it was down 23 cents or 0.4 percent.

“RIM respects both the regulatory requirements of government and the security and privacy needs of corporations and consumers. RIM does not disclose confidential regulatory discussions that take place with any government however RIM assures its customers that it is committed to continue delivering highly secure and innovative products that satisfy the needs of both customers and governments.”