Saudi Says RIM Deal Reached; BlackBerry OK, If We Can Read the Messages

crimeandpunishment writes "There's a deal on the table to avert a ban on Blackberry's messenger service in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi regulatory official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press the deal involves placing a server in Saudi Arabia ... and letting the government monitor users' messages, easing Saudi concerns over security and criminal usage. The deal could have wide-ranging implications, given how many other countries have expressed similar concerns, or in the case of the United Arab Emirates, have threatened to block Blackberry email and messaging services." Perhaps the governments of UAE and India would be satisfied, too, if only they had access to the messages transmitted.

Comments

Re:I agree but it's unlikely to happen

[PopeRatzo]

From watching the news, I would never have thought crime was decreasing.

Amazing, isn't it? You'd think that crime was completely out of control.

Even crime along the US/Mexican border has decreased for each of the last 5 years. From all the hollering in Arizona, you'd think that it was completely lawless, when in fact, crime rates are significantly down.