Kuwaiti MP praises blocking measures

Manama: A Kuwaiti lawmaker praised the steps taken by some Gulf states to block certain services offered by BlackBerry.

"We welcome the latest measures adopted by countries in the Gulf on the BlackBerry services," MP Mohammad Al Hayef said. "We have repeatedly warned about the misuse of the device and the negative effects on ethics and security. Several families are not aware of its uses," said the Islamist MP.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia said they were blocking some functions of the Blackberry, claiming security concerns. Al Hayef said the measures taken by the countries help preserve their Islamic identity.

"The authorities in Kuwait have told me that they are closely cooperating with other Gulf agencies on the BlackBerry. More meetings on the issue are expected to be held next week," he said.

A Kuwaiti newspaper reported that BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has told Kuwaiti authorities that it agreed to block access to thousands of pornographic sites from the country.

"The communication ministry has sent to RIM a list of 3,000 pornographic sites that should be blocked," Al Jareeda daily reported on Tuesday. "RIM's response has been positive and the company has requested a delay until the end of the year," the newspaper said. "The sources stressed that BlackBerry services would continue in Kuwait and would not be blocked. However, there are consultations with local providers to agree on a set of legal regulations that ensure both national security and people's rights to use the services," the daily said.