BlackBerry's status appears to be under threat in the Gulf, with two of the region's states announcing they are to block certain elements of the platform's email, messaging and web browsing set-up.

Citing BlackBerry as a potential security threat, the UAE government is to prevent nationals using the phones to access their email because of the way BlackBerry handsets send users data overseas.

As such, the government claims BlackBerry devices "allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns".

This happens as BlackBerry's email is encrypted and sent via international servers, which local governments can't access. the UAE previously tried to enforce users to install an update that would have enabled it to check traffic; something that RIM opposed and provided removal instructions for. 

Return to sender

BlackBerry's instant messaging system is also set to be blocked by Saudi Arabia.

UAE state-run carriers Etisalat and Du currently working on workarounds for Gulf-based BlackBerry customers - which number in the hundreds of thousands according to estimates - that will comply with government requests. 

''With no solution available and in the public interest... BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry E-mail and BlackBerry Web-browsing services will be suspended until an acceptable solution can be developed and applied,'' said Mohamed al-Ghanim, director general of the UAE's telecommunications regulatory authority.

''BlackBerry appears to be compliant in similar regulatory environments of other countries, which makes non-compliance in the UAE both disappointing and of great concern,'' he told state news agency WAM.

Industry commentators are already comparing the moves by the UAE and Saudi governments to China's efforts to censor Google.

RIM itself is yet to offer any official comment, although the company had recently stated that it respects both the regulatory requirements of government, and the security and privacy needs of corporations and consumers.

[source: The New York Times]