Saudi Arabia Tests BlackBerry Monitoring as Ban Deadline Nears
This article is for subscribers only.
Saudi Arabia delayed its decision on shutting off Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry instant messaging until midnight today, giving carriers more time to test a system that can monitor user data and avert a ban.
“Appropriate action on whether to suspend the service” will be taken after the proposed solution is shown to comply with regulatory requirements, the state-run Saudi Press Agency cited a statement from the Saudi telecommunications regulator as saying. Saudi Arabia has said it wants to monitor BlackBerry messages to prevent terrorism and illegal activities.