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Kuwait – Blackberry services have not been suspended in Kuwait, a source close to one of the telecommunication companies revealed. The source explained that the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have suspended some Blackberry mobile phone services over security concerns.

He added that the BBM service will not be suspended due to the fact that it provides various services to subscribers and that no security cases have been filed in Kuwait in relation to this service.

Meanwhile, a source within the Ministry of Communications said that the ministry is looking for a mechanism to “control” Blackberry service. He added that there is ongoing coordination between local mobile companies and the manufacturer of Blackberry phones to either block the service or find solutions to rationalize its use, particularly since it has upset many countries for spreading false news that threatens national unity.

It could be recalled that the Ministry of Communications Undersecretary Abdulmohsen Al-Mazidi earlier stated that Blackberry is a technologically advanced device that is hard to suspend currently. He however made it clear that the ministry will not hesitate to suspend the service if the ministry deems that necessary.

In the meantime, sources close to local mobile companies said that they have yet to receive any instructions from the authorities to suspend Blackberry services in the country. He added that the service will continue, noting that his company will contact the Canadian manufacturer to inquire about the negotiations regarding putting in place certain measures or finding solutions such as blocking certain undesired services. The source further noted that although his company is aware of the nature of the area, it is hard to control some services technically and in legal terms.

Over a million BlackBerry users face being cut off from key services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE after authorities stepped up demands on maker Research In Motion for access to encrypted messages sent on the smartphone.

BlackBerry’s Messenger application has spread rapidly in the Gulf Arab region but because the data is encrypted and sent to offshore servers, it cannot be tracked locally.

Al Watan ©