My Way News - UAE: BlackBerry crackdown will affect visitors too
My Way News reports: "Emirati authorities say the move is based on security concerns because BlackBerry data are automatically shipped to company computers abroad, where it is difficult for local authorities to monitor for illegal activity or abuse. Critics of the crackdown say it is also a way for the country's conservative government to further control content it deems politically or morally objectionable [...] automatic encryption makes BlackBerry data far more difficult, if not impossible, for authorities to monitor."

My Way News - Questions and answers about UAE's BlackBerry ban: "Q: Why is the United Arab Emirates banning BlackBerry e-mails?

A: In short, the corporate version of the BlackBerry system is too hard to eavesdrop on. The e-mails and messages are encrypted while in transit, and even Research In Motion Ltd., the Canadian company that makes the BlackBerry, doesn't have the keys to decrypt them. The system is designed to keep corporate and government secrets safe, but the UAE is concerned that it could provide cover for illegal activity."

WSJ.com - U.A.E. to Suspend BlackBerry Services
The Wall Street Journal reports: "The U.A.E. ban is the latest in a string of skirmishes world-wide for RIM as governments try to monitor and control communications. Kuwait, India and China are among countries that reportedly have asked RIM for easier data access as a condition for operating within their borders."

Comment: A country is throwing a temper tantrum because they can't spy on a cell phone network. Really. Here's hoping that BlackBerry owner RIM will stand firm and not cave in. Why should a service provider collude with a foreign government to allow them to spy on their subscribers? Well, for the money, of course.