DoT Calls Complete Ban On BBM 'Undesirable', If RIM Complies

Popular smartphone manufacturer, RIM did have to face rough waters in India over security issues pertaining to its popular messenger service on their BlackBerry smartphones (BlackBerry Messenger) and corporate e-mail service - BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES). The encrypted nature of messages which were sent to and fro across the network did not allow the security agencies to carry out any screening.

This did not go down well with the security agencies in the country, as well as the government, since screening messages was crucial to the security of the country. The Indian government in general and the telecom ministry in particular, had then asked the Canada-based, RIM to come clean with the interception keys to enable real-time tracking of the BBM and BlackBerry’s corporate e-mail services or face a complete ban.

Ban imminent, unless RIM agrees

Now, according to a report in the Times of India, RIM has been blessed with a little bit of good fortune. The telecom ministry has stated that a complete ban is ‘undesirable’. However, it adds that the complete ban is ‘undesirable’, only if RIM agrees to provide the security agencies with the encrypted data in a readable format. RIM, too, had provided a solution early on, which was based on having data intercepted in real-time. The report further suggests that the solution has not been put into action right now, DoT is testing it.

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