Dubai: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) says it has no plans to stop messaging services for BlackBerry smartphones in the UAE.
TRA executive director of Technology Development Affairs Mohammad Geyath told the Al Arabiya news service: "We are studying all options to regulate the services... but we don't have plans to stop them".
The statement came one day after the TRA said that it was working with Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry smartphones, to resolve "serious social, judicial and national security" issues with the popular devices.
At the centre of the security issue is the BlackBerry Messenger which provides free, e-mail services to the gadget. The system uses RIM's computer servers in Canada and is therefore outside the jurisdiction of the UAE authorities.
The TRA claims that the BlackBerry is currently the only device "that immediately exports its data offshore and is managed by a foreign, commercial organisation".
This is not the first time the BlackBerry has been the target of security concerns in the UAE. Last year, etisalat brought out what they called an "update" for BlackBerry users in the UAE. The update reportedly gave the TRA the ability to monitor emails on the device. However, users said the update affected the handset's ability to work properly, resulting in a backlash.
Other countries have also complained about BlackBerry's messaging system. Following the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year, India claimed the devices could pose a threat to national security after it was reported that terrorists had been using the devices to communicate.
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