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BlackBerry Phones Safe in Asia |
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Written by Our Correspondent
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Thursday, 05 August 2010 |
 Governments probably would face too much resistance if they tried to ban the devices
Rest easy, Asian businessmen, it doesn't look likely that many – or even
any -- governments will follow the lead of Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates to ban BlackBerry smartphone services, according to a
survey across the region. Given the ubiquity and popularity of the
devices on the part of businessmen and government leaders as well, it
would probably be impossible.
Unlike the iPhone and other
smartphones, which typically send data through open networks, the
BlackBerry uses sophisticated encryption devices run through their
Canadian servers that not only raise security concerns over potential
terrorists but also keep governments from listening in both to
circumscribe freedom of speech and to thwart corruption. The customer
creates his own security key and there appears no way for eavesdroppers
to break into the system. The Waterloo, Ontario-based Research in
Motion, which manufacturers the devices, said it can't even read user
transmissions.
"BlackBerry's security model is very different
from others," said Kevin Mahaffey of Lookout mobile security. "It is
end-to-end and the encryption is so strong nobody knows how to monitor
it."
An official with Indonesia's Telecommunications Regulatory
Body started the fuss in Jakarta on Wednesday, telling reporters a ban
was being considered for services such as BlackBerry Messenger, email
and Internet access after announcements by India and Saudi Arabia that
they planned to restrict access because of security concerns. Saudi
Arabian communications officials have given Research in Motion until
Friday to knuckle under.
"We share the same concerns as those
countries," said Heru Sutadi, a member of the agency. "This is about our
national security."
However, on Thursday the government hastily
backed away from any such plan, with Communications Ministry spokesman
Gatot Dewa Broto telling reporters that the government had only
requested Research in Motion open a "data center" in Indonesia so that
the data didn't have to be routed through Canada, where the company's
encrypted servers are based.
A statement on the communication
ministry's Web site said "so far" it had "no plan to apply a similar
policy to the UAE because "we don't see the urgency."
The
statement noted that Indonesia had temporarily blocked imports of new
BlackBerry models in 2009 after RIM rejected requests to open the
service center.
In addition to its popularity as a technology
marvel, the BlackBerry's encryption system keeps prying eyes away from
sensitive company machinations. One company executive for an unnamed
conglomerate told Asia Sentinel that after authorities had arrested one
of their top officials on bribery charges, the conglomerate switched all
of its communications devices to BlackBerry smartphones to hide their
traffic from government investigators. It is unknown how many companies
across the region have followed that path.
In Malaysia, an aide
to a top United Malays National Organization politician said no ban
would be possible in the country because the devices are ubiquitous and
neither UMNO nor opposition leaders would be likely to give them up
themselves or order anybody else to do so. Besides, he said, most search
engines and communications companies already provide information on
demand to Interpol, governments and the Malaysian Ancti-Corruption
Commission.
Thailand, where authorities monitor the Internet
intensively and have banned as many as 13,000 websites for perceived or
actual threats to government security, would seem a natural to seek to
either ban BlackBerry devices or demand access to their encryption
codes. But so far, said a source in Bangkok, "I actually don't think it
will happen here, mostly because the yellow shirts and all the upper
classes here love their BlackBerries and chat on messenger all day long.
So the government may face a backlash if it tries to do anything.
Anything is possible i suppose, but haven't seen anything concrete yet.
That
kind of backlash among the moneyed and politically wired classes is
probably the best insurance against such a ban. Indeed, Research in
Motion Chief Technology Officer David Yach told Bloomberg that
governments were unlikely to follow through on their threats because
state officials themselves depended heavily on the BlackBerry.
"I
believe they'll have trouble pulling the trigger to shut down
BlackBerry. Most governments in the world rely on BlackBerry," Yach
said.
Nonetheless, Research In Motion faces mounting demands
from governments around the world for access to its encryption system on
national security grounds. In India and the Gulf states, as many as 2
million users could be cut off if authorities go through with their
threat. India, a fast-growing market for mobile communications, is
nonetheless, deeply concerned about secret communications in the wake of
a November, 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai which took nearly 200 lives
as gunmen invaded the sprawling city from Pakistan and caught officials
unprepared, as well as other attacks that have originated both inside
and outside the country.
"We are very clear that any BlackBerry
service that cannot be fully intercepted must be discontinued," an
unnamed security official told Bloomberg. "Offering access to data is
part of the telecom licensing guidelines and has to be adhered to."
Research
in Motion apparently has proposed to share some details but security
services are demanding full access because of concerns that terrorists
could use them to plan attacks.
An Indian government source said
that RIM had proposed to share some details of its BlackBerry services
but security agencies were demanding full access to a messaging service
it fears could be misused by militants.
With additional reporting from Jakarta Globe
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Economics/Business 
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