NEW DELHI - India's Home Ministry threatened Thursday to block BlackBerry corporate email and messaging services unless the device's manufacturer, Research In Motion Ltd., makes them accessible to its security agencies by Aug. 31.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also threatened to cut off popular BlackBerry services unless they get greater access to user information. Like India, they've cited security concerns in pushing for access to encrypted information sent by the cellphones that gets routed through the Canadian company's servers overseas.
India has asked for encrypted BlackBerry communications to be made easily available to its intelligence and law enforcement agencies, saying that the services could be used by militant groups.
The 10 heavily armed gunmen who rampaged through Mumbai, India's financial capital, in November 2008, killing 166 people, used cell and satellite phones to communicate with their Pakistan-based handlers, according to Indian officials.
Research In Motion said it will not change security architecture for its business users and reiterated that it doesn't have the ability to provide its customers' encryption keys to unscramble data.
"RIM maintains a consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific countries," the Canadian tech company said in a statement on Thursday.
RIM also said wireless carriers' capabilities must be limited to the "strict context of lawful access and national security requirements" as governed by a country's rules of law and judicial oversight.
The announcement came after a meeting of India's home secretary, an official in charge of domestic security, and representatives of security agencies and the government's telecommunications department, the ministry said in a statement.
