Saudi Arabia's telecommunications regulator, the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), on Tuesday said it would allow BlackBerry messaging services to continue in the Kingdom, citing “positive developments” with the device's Canadian manufacturer. Research In Motion (RIM) Ltd. has agreed to hand over user codes that would let Saudi authorities monitor its BlackBerry Messenger, as it seeks to stop the Kingdom from silencing the service, a source close to the talks told Reuters on Tuesday. The source, who was not authorized to speak about the talks and asked not to be named, said RIM would share with Saudi Arabia the unique pin number and code for each BlackBerry registered here. That will allow authorities to read encrypted text sent via Messenger, an instant messaging service that's distinct from email sent on the BlackBerry. The arrangement would effectively give Saudi Arabia access to RIM's main server for Messenger, but only for communications to and from Saudi users, the source said. RIM initially agreed to set up a server at each of the three Saudi service providers, said the source. But that proved impractical, so the company changed course and offered the Interior Ministry and intelligence services the codes to all Saudi BlackBerry users, said the source. The Canadian company declined to comment, referring media to its earlier statement in which it said it “cooperates with all governments with a consistent standard.” “I would imagine other countries are going to want to be treated in a similar way, whatever that way happens to be,” said Todd Coupland at CIBC World Markets in Toronto, referring to a Saudi code sharing deal for Messenger. Saudi Arabia, like United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, India and some other countries, has sought access to encrypted BlackBerry communications, citing social and national security concerns. BlackBerry Messenger has proven popular with young singles in Saudi Arabia as it makes up the biggest BlackBerry market in the Gulf with 750,000 users. This use of the BlackBerry contrasts with the situation in Western countries, where the device is specially popular among business and government professionals that value its security. Email is encrypted and decrypted by BlackBerry Enterprise Servers, which RIM says are only controlled by the sponsoring business or organization. RIM, unlike rivals Nokia and Apple, operates its own network through secure servers located in Canada and other countries such as Britain. “If RIM is required to give wholesale access to one government, they're going to give access to other countries. That's just the way it happens,” said Cindy Cohn, legal director and general counsel for digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation. The security concerns cited by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, among other countries, hinge on the way BlackBerry data is sent and managed. At least some BlackBerry data is encrypted and stored on servers overseas, making it difficult for local governments to monitor.
