RIM handed snooping ultimatum by Indian government

CANADIAN FIRM Research In Motion (RIM), maker of handheld Blackberry wireless email communicator and PDA devices, is facing a snooping ultimatum from India's security agencies.

RIM executives are expected to meet with Indian national security officials and telecommunications vendors on Friday to discuss India's demand to be able to access and intercept RIM's Blackberry service emails.

India's government is delaying the licencing of Blackberry services by the mobile wireless company Tata Teleservices until its demands are met. It has threatened other Blackberry service providers in India with licence cancellation unless they also give it access to emails transmitted over Blackberry services by March 31st.

India's Information Technology Act of 2000 gives government agencies the right to intercept electronic communications for specific national security purposes.

Security agencies chant booga-booga about "terrorism" to justify their snooping.

RIM hasn't yet responded to emails asking if it plans to comply with the Indian government's demands and whether such compliance is actually feasible. µ

L'Inq
Network World