Arab states block smartphone in information clampdown

Two Arab nations plan to block key features of BlackBerry smart phones because they cannot be monitored by government agencies.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) will block key features on the smart phones, claiming concerns for national security. Saudi Arabia also indicated it planned to follow suit.

The decision could prevent hundreds of thousands of users across the Middle East from accessing email and the internet. The UAE plans to act in October, putting the federation's reputation as a business-friendly commercial and tourism hub at risk.

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BlackBerry data is encrypted and routed overseas, and the measure could be motivated in part by government fears that the messaging system could be exploited by terrorists or other criminals.

However, analysts believe it is an attempt to control the flow of information in the conservative country, which is home to Dubai and the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Within hours of the announcement yesterday, a telecommunications official in neighbouring Saudi Arabia said the desert kingdom would begin blocking the BlackBerry messaging service starting later this month.

The unnamed Saudi official said the country's telecommunications regulator would issue a statement on the move soon.

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Like in Saudi Arabia, government censors in the UAE already routinely block access to websites and other media deemed contrary to conservative Islamic values.

In announcing the ban, the UAE telecommunications watchdog said it would suspend BlackBerry messaging, email and web browsing services starting on October 11.

BlackBerry devices have been singled out because they use a system that updates a user's inbox by sending encrypted messages through company servers abroad. Users like the system because it is more secure, but it also makes BlackBerry messages hard to monitor.

India has also hinted that it is unhappy with the smart phone.

A spokeswoman for RIM said the Canadian company had no immediate comment.