India wants to snoop Blackberry emails
p2pnet news | Freedom:- Citing security concerns and poor encryption breaking abilities, the Indian government wants to be able to read Blackberry emails without the knowledge or permission of recipients or senders.
What’s more, continues the Economic Times of India, Blackberry maker Research In Motion is apparently thinking about helping out.
Presumably, corporations are squeaky clean but RIM, “may allow the Indian government to intercept non-corporate emails sent over BlackBerrys,” says the story, going on:
“This is expected to solve the row between the Department of Telecom (DoT) and RIM to a large extent, since the government’s security concerns pertain more to emails from individual users than enterprise customers.
“At the core of the issue is the data encryption technology used in BlackBerrys. BlackBerry uses a very high level of encryption – at 256 bits – while sending data. BlackBerry scrambles messages before sending and unscrambles them at the receiver’s BlackBerry.”
According to officials “close to the development,” Canadian high commissioner David Malone and RIM officials, “met telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura on May 7,” says the Times, continuing >>>
“It was explained by RIM that it should be possible for the government to monitor emails to non-business enterprise customers,” sources told ET. “RIM is considering giving access to individual users’ email to the government. Details on this will be provided in two or three weeks,” sources said.
Most of India’s 1,14,000-plus customers are from the enterprise segment, says the story, stating, “decrypting emails of non-corporate customers is a larger security concern for Indian intelligence agencies.”
The issue came to light, “after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence expressed inability to intercept any exchange of messages between hawala dealers and militant groups that use BlackBerry device,” says the Economic Times of India, adding:
“Security agencies are said to be insisting that RIM must place its server, through which the information is routed to BlackBerry handhelds, in India. This is not acceptable to RIM as it does not do so in other countries where it offers services.
“India has repeatedly assured RIM that its commercial interests will be protected and an amicable solution will be arrived at. Globally, there are over 14 million BlackBerry users and RIM has a large interest in the Indian market, which is adding nearly 10 million subscribers every month.”
Stay tuned.
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Economic Times of India – Govt may get keys to your BlackBerry mailbox soon, Mat 15, 2008
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May 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Sounds mild in comparison to what Britain’s proposing.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
there are only 14 million subscribers, but India is adding 10 million a month? Holy crap, did India just get blackberies in April?
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I think that the question that should be asked is, “Is it only Indian citizens whose blackberries are being intercepted or is it anyone’s who happens to be in that region of the world. I find it hard to believe that the Indian Intel community does not have the ability to intercept anything that is of interest to them unless it is freely provided. THINK: reverse engineering!
May 25th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Wow seems like every goverment wants to monitor what it’s citizens are doing. Freedom is increasinly diminishing in this era.
December 17th, 2008 at 11:18 am
This is unbelievable to me – can you imagine if this happened in the US.