New Delhi, August 12
Research In Motion’s BlackBerry email and instant messaging services would be shut down in the country if the Canadian maker did not address Indian security concerns by August 31, the government declared here today. The ultimatum came hours after the Union Home Secretary held a meeting with intelligence officials and state-run telecom operators about how to gain access to the encrypted contents.
The BlackBerry device has become a target for its encrypted email and messaging services with governments around the world. The Indian Government said if their demands were not met, mobile phone operators would be required by law to close BlackBerry email and instant messaging services running through their networks.
“If a technical solution is not provided by August 31, 2010, the government will review the position and take steps to block these two services from the network,” the government said in a
statement.
The Indian demands follow a deal struck by the BlackBerry manufacturer RIM with Saudi Arabia, where “Research In Motion” is said to have agreed to give authorities codes for BlackBerry Messenger instant messaging users.
The United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Algeria have also sought similar access. India seeks access to both email and instant messaging, while Saudi Arabia has only targeted the messaging service. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone’s India unit are the largest providers of BlackBerry services in India, the world’s fastest growing mobile phone market.
A shutdown would affect one million of the smartphone’s 41 million users worldwide. India is one of RIM’s fastest growing markets, too. If a shutdown takes effect, BlackBerry users in India would only be able to use the devices for calls and Internet browsing. “RIM has assured us they will come with some solution. It remains to be seen whether they address our security concerns,” a senior Home Ministry official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
India wants access in a readable format to encrypted BlackBerry communication, which could be used by militants. Pakistani-based militants used mobile and satellite phones in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 persons. RIM had apparently proposed tracking emails without sharing encryption details, but that was not deemed enough.
This year, India restricted imports of Chinese telecom network equipment over security fears. It is also worried about the introduction of 3G wireless services with no monitoring system in place. RIM, unlike rivals Nokia and Apple, operates its own network through secure services located in Canada and other countries, such as Britain. The BlackBerry image could suffer if users feel RIM has compromised its Enterprise email system.
RIM has said BlackBerry’s Enterprise system lets customers create their own key, and the company has neither a master key nor a “back door” to allow it or any third party to access crucial corporate data.
RIM uses powerful codes to scramble or encrypt messages between the server and the device.