Saudis make a deal with BlackBerry

Aug 08, 2010 |

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Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Aug. 7: Saudi Arabia and the makers of the BlackBerry smartphone have reached a deal on accessing users’ data that will avert a ban on the phone’s messenger service, a Saudi official said on Saturday.

The agreement would involve placing a BlackBerry server inside Saudi Arabia to allow the government to monitor messages and allay official fears the service could be used for criminal purposes, the official said.

The deal could have wide-ranging implications for several other countries, including India and the United Arab Emirates, which have expressed similar concerns over how BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd., handles data.

The Saudi regulatory official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the details of the deal with the media, said tests were now under way to determine how to install a BlackBerry server inside the country.

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