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India backs DoT on BlackBerry

Asks RIM to cooperate

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Jan 20 2013 | 9:08 PM IST

This was conveyed to Canadian High Commissioner David M Malone through a communication from the Ministry of External Affairs after the envoy had written a letter to Communication Minister A Raja questioning the manner in which DoT conducted the discussions.

Malone had also expressed doubt on whether those involved on the Indian side are actually empowered to settle the matter.

"It would be advisable for RIM (manufacturer of BlackBerry) to recognise that Department of Telecommunications is trying to be helpful in the case and to work together with them. It may not help the RIM cause to make allegations about those who are trying to help them," the MEA said in a letter written to Malone on April 25.

The MEA has assured Canada and RIM that all efforts were being made by India to see that issues of concern vis-a-vis BlackBerry services were resolved in a "mutually satisfactory" manner through discussions with the company.

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DoT secretary Siddhartha Behura had apprised foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon about the talks between DoT and RIM officials and had assured Canada that commercial interests of the company would be kept in mind while taking any decision.

Security agencies, according to sources, have not agreed with the solution provided by RIM and have insisted that the company must place its server, through which the information is routed to BlackBerry handsets, in India.

The agencies are also understood to have asked for depositing the master key with the concerned authorities for interception of contents.

The recent meetings between DoT, RIM and Canadian authorities have led to heated exchange of words over sharing of Public Key (code of customer's handset) and Private Key (code with the RIM). The two codes need to be in place to ensure transaction on a BlackBerry set.

The issue came to fore after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence expressed inability to intercept any conversation between hawala dealers and militant groups that use BlackBerry set.

The security agencies have also been saying that they need to have lawful interception of information on BlackBerry services.

The MEA said DoT have been making a conscious effort to avoid "precipitate action" and ways to resolve the difficulties through discussions are being explored, and asked the Canadian High Commissioner and the company not to involve persons or authorities who are not directly involved with the issue.

"It was further recommended to the Canadian High Commissioner that writing to/involving others who are not directly concerned risks the matter/letters reaching the media and also reduces the chances of a desirable solution," the MEA said.

The MEA has informed DoT that Canadian High Commissioner has responded, indicating its understanding that RIM should continue to engage with the concerned ministries to resolve the issues and RIM has sought meetings with Secretary, DoT and Home Affairs.

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First Published: May 11 2008 | 2:36 PM IST

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