Summer of the stifling state

The possibility that several Gulf states, as well as India, might suspend BlackBerry services unless certain security conditions are implemented is the latest sign of the tension between modern technology and the impositions of the state. In July, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia sought to come to an agreement with BlackBerry’s Canadian manufacturer, Research in Motion (RIM), to impose an oversight mechanism allowing their security agencies to read the device’s encrypted messages. This would affect BlackBerry’s messenger service, which permits users to communicate in real time between themselves, as well as email services. RIM refused and the Emirati and Saudi authorities announced dates for the suspension of BlackBerry. The governments’ calculations were that their threats would put pressure on RIM’s share value, forcing the company to comply. In early August, however, the Saudis reversed course, announcing that they would allow messenger services to continue, driving RIM’s share value