RIM Reportedly Bows To Pressure From Saudi Arabia

Even when you’re one of the largest mobile companies in the world (and certainly the largest for the business elite), things change when you find yourself at odds with a sovereign nation. Or a few. That’s the situation RIM is in right now as they attempt to reconcile their longtime promise to users (uncompromising encryption and security) with the unforgiving world of global politics. As you’re likely aware if you’re reading this post, RIM has been the center of government ire in a few countries (most prominently the UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia), which have threatened to ban Blackberry devices if RIM doesn’t provide them reasonable access to users’ data.

How should providers act upon requests from government for broad access to users’ data? Are you entitled to privacy when using a service you pay for? Should a government have open access for the purposes of public safety and the ‘greater good’?

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