Is the Blackberry a UAE security risk?

A security risk?

With security concerns and privacy issues a major problem for companies the world over, Research in Motion's BlackBerry device has been drawn up as an example of technology that is "open to misuse" and "that poses security risks to the UAE".

It was the Gulf state of Bahrain that originally warned against the use of BlackBerry Messenger software to distribute local news, drawing criticism from media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which called it an act of censorship.

It triggered concerns that other countries may ‘prohibit' certain applications that would hamper BlackBerry's growth in the smartphone market, of which it currently holds about 20 percent.

However on Sunday, UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in a statement that BlackBerry was operating "beyond the jurisdiction of national legislation" and that the UAE would seek to safeguard its consumers and laws.

"Social, judicial and national security repercussions"

The statement also stated that, "As a result of how BlackBerry data is managed and stored, in their current form, certain BlackBerry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions."

As such, the UAE would be working to resolve "these critical issues with the objective of finding a solution that safeguards our consumers and operates within the boundaries of UAE law."

BlackBerry devices have been subjected to scrutiny before in the UAE. Last year, an Emirati state phone company told customers to install software that could let outsiders view users' private information.

It is not the first censorship dispute to have erupted between a large tech company and a country. Google and Beijing famously had a long running feud over censorship that was only recently resolved. China was accused by the internet giant of hacking attacks and censorship concerns and stated it would have to leave the Chinese market unless it was resolved.

Research in Motion said it was preparing to launch an applications store as well as consumer internet services in China, which is currently the world's top mobile market.

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