Here's the next episode of the ongoing Blackberry saga... Word has it that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has rejected RIM's (Research in Motion) proposal to decompress data sent from Blackberry to non-Blackberry phones, reason given being breach of privacy.
RIM claims it had offered to decompress data because Blackberry's communication network runs on 256-bit advanced data encryption while Indian security agencies are equipped to intercept signals up to 40-bits only.
The Intelligence Bureau has rejected the proposal for decompressing data as this means leaking of information about the person whose data is being intercepted; basically breach of individual privacy.
The Blackberry soap opera, if you will, has been running for too long now; the bone of contention being storage of communication between Blackberry devices on RIM servers based in Canada -- national security agencies have expressed serious concern over not being able to monitor this data which might in turn compromise national security.
A week back, the Department of Telecom (DoT) had proposed an interim solution wherein data exchanged between Blackberry users would be stored on the servers of telecom operators who provide the service in the country for a period of one year. In the meantime, DoT had also asked RIM to move some of its servers to India so that national security agencies could monitor Blackberry traffic.
And amidst all of this, India has assured Canada that the commercial interests of RIM, makers of Blackberry, would be kept in mind while taking a final decision.
typical govt crap dished out! little/no technical capabilities and always pandering to corporate interests! where does this leave the common man? guess we are better off with going back to the stone ages when communication was through birds :)
by big beef
from hyde park
on 04/05/08 02:38 PM
Are the Indian security agencies competent enough to interpret the data. read "Blackberry's communication network runs on 256-bit advanced data encryption while Indian security agencies are equipped to intercept signals up to 40-bits only"
by Amit
from Del
on 03/05/08 12:19 PM
Commercial interests of RIM and interests of national security agencies. I hardly see any mention or concern for the privacy of individual citizens? Is everyone a criminal until proven otherwise? Is this 1984 for real?
by Concerned Citiz
from Bangalore, India
on 02/05/08 09:04 PM
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