Abu Dhabi: The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) has said BlackBerry operates beyond the jurisdiction of national legislation, as it is the only device operating in the UAE that immediately exports its data off-shore and is managed by a foreign, commercial organisation.
A statement from the TRA said the introduction of BlackBerry in the UAE in 2006 pre-dates the 2007 introduction of the UAE’s Safety, Emergency and National Security legislation, which regulates BlackBerry applications in the UAE.
It added that as a result of the way BlackBerry data is managed and stored in its current form, certain BlackBerry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions.
The statement also said: "Like many other countries, we have been working for a long time to resolve these critical issues, with the objective of finding a solution that safeguards our consumers and operates within the boundaries of UAE law."
