Democracy News

United Arab Emirates BlackBerry Ban Sparks International Concern
August 3, 2010
By: Randi Zung | Printer Friendly

On August 1, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it will start to implement bans on certain BlackBerry mobile phone functions in October of this year, BBC News reported.  Specifically, the UAE government said that it would block BlackBerry mobile phones from sending emails, accessing the internet, and would prevent the use of BlackBerry’s instant messaging application BlackBerry Messenger.  According to UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) – which oversees all telecommunications and information technology industries in the country – BlackBerry’s mobile devices raised “judicial, social and national security concerns” due to their ability to transmit encrypted data to users around the world. 

Addressing the ban, TRA director general Mohammed al-Ghanem stated, "Censorship has got nothing to do with this. What we are talking about is suspension due to the lack of compliance with UAE telecommunications regulations."  Last year the TRA allegedly attempted to install spyware on BlackBerry devices in order to monitor emails and other data.  BlackBerry is estimated to have approximately 500,000 users in the UAE.

According to Reporters without Borders, BlackBerry Messenger is a popular medium for expressing dissent about the government in the UAE.  In a statement, Reporters without Borders stated, “The [UAE] government regards the services offered by BlackBerry, especially its instant messaging, as an obstacle to its goal of reinforcing censorship, filtering and surveillance. We fear that this statement is designed to prepare the public for a total ban or block on BlackBerry. This would be a serious mistake and utterly inconsistent on the part of a country that aspires to be a technological leader in the Arab world.”  In addition, UAE was also listed on Reporters without Borders’ annual “Enemies of the Internet” report.

Commenting on the UAE’s new BlackBerry restriction, US State Department Assistant of Secretary of the Bureau of Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley stated the US is “committed to promoting the free flow of information.”  Following up on his initial statement, Crowley added, “It’s about what we think is an important element of democracy, human rights, and freedom of information and the flow of information in the 21st century.”

BBC News also reported that Saudi Arabia announced plans to block BlackBerry Messenger for users in its borders.  UAE’s ban will begin on October 11, 2010, while Saudi Arabia is said to begin to implement its restrictions later this month.

Sources:
BBC News - Two Gulf states to ban some Blackberry functions

US State Department – Daily Press Briefing: August 2, 2010

Reporters Without Borders - Threatening comments about BlackBerry smartphones from telephone regulator