The Indian government is the latest authority to threaten to take action against RIM unless it provides it with access to encrypted email and messenger services on BlackBerry handsets.

According to the New York Times, Indian officials have said they will take steps to block both services unless RIM enables the government to monitor messages sent on the platform by the end of August.

Keeping the pease

In the government's view, it's a question of security, with India very sensitive in terms of how various terrorist groups could use the technology.

India also claims its existing technology laws mean it has have every right to oversee all data communications sent within its borders.

"If a technical solution is not provided by 31st August, 2010, the government will review the position and take steps to block these two services from the network," the Indian Home Ministry said in a statement.

One by one

India's declaration follows a similar statement made the UAE government ten days ago.

In essence, both countries are playing the state security card, with the UAE maintaining BlackBerry's set-up of sending email via international servers out of the country's reach "allows users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns".

The Indian government's declaration ramps the crisis up a notch, however.

India is a far more important territory for RIM, with an estimated one million BlackBerry users within its borders as well as being one of the fastest growing wireless markets.

Nevertheless, any compromise between RIM and the governments of India and the UAE appears unclear, with the Canadian company claiming it never bends to the will of individual nations.

"RIM maintains a consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific countries," the Canadian company said in a statement.

Sorting out the Saudis

Saudi Arabia had also threatened to take action against RIM at the same time as the UAE, with the government going one step further and blocking access to messages temporarily at the start of August.

Though exact details are unclear, in this case, RIM appears to have come to some agreement, with sources reporting the Canadian giant has agreed to install servers within the kingdom for monitoring purposes.

RIM maintains it never makes any special concessions to individual nations, but Saudi Arabia's telecommunications regulator stated there had been "positive developments" between the two parties.

[source: New York Times]