After spyware fails, UAE gives up and bans Blackberries

[Perry E. Metzger]

On Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:10:51 +1200 "David G. Koontz"
<david_koontz at xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/after-spyware-failed-uae-gives-up-and-bans-blackberries.ars

See also:

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/business/global/02berry.html

The BBC did a story on this today in which (pretty shockingly) they
talked to a security "expert" who talked only about how bad the
security problems are because the government can't read the messages,
especially because theoretical terrorists could use the blackberries
to discuss criminal activity. No discussion at all of alternate
viewpoints or the security risks associated with built-in
eavesdropping technology.

Even the New York Times story discussed the issue entirely in privacy
terms, and did not discuss the security risks that GAK systems
pose. There is no guarantee, once an eavesdropping system is
implemented, that it will be used only for legitimate purposes -- see,
for example, the scandal in which Greek government ministers were
listened to using the "lawful intercept" features of cellphone
equipment.

Perry
-- 
Perry E. Metzger		perry at piermont.com

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