Security concerns are may prevent Indian consumers from enjoying the BlackBerry services of Research in Motion (RIM). With the rise in terrorist activities in the country and the use of high-end technologies including mobile phones and internet services in spreading terrorist networks, the Indian security agencies have urged RIM to allow them access to the emails or messages passing through the BlackBerry services. However, RIM appears helpless to meet the request of the Indian Government. The company does not have a ‘master key’ and a ‘back door’ does not exist in the system to allow RIM or any third party unauthorized access to the encryption key created by the customer.
To solve the problem, the Indian Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has asked RIM to set up its servers in India so that all the BlackBerry traffic could be monitored by the Indian security agencies, but RIM has ruled out any such possibility. With RIM’s inability to comply with the Indian government’s demand, it is likely that the BlackBerry services might be scrapped in India. However, with 114,000 BlackBerry subscribers in the country and the market expanding rapidly it is unlikely that RIM will not settle for an acceptable alternative.
Source: CNET News
Comments
The direction things are heading, I see BlackBerry marching out of India within a year. However, will this solve the problem? I don’t think so. There are a million ways for terrorists to exchange information and communicate with each other. And if technology fails, they will use human messengers. Pulling up BlackBerry seems stupid as India’s image as a business-pro country would be affected.
We keep hailing the advent of technology but unfortunately we cannot reap the benefits because of such sad concerns. When has terrorism been checked before doing the damage in our country. A lame excuse from the experts to let go Blackberry. What kind of expertise is this. And then we call India a developing nation.
Terrorism has reached a level where it cannot be checked. If you have the RAW to provide you with critical terrorist info, there are people inside the RAW who have taken espionage to unimaginable heights. Bomb blasts in a city like Jaipur can never be predicted. And terrorism hasnt affected just developing and under-developed nations. Highly advanced countries like the US have also witnessed terrorism at its worst.