As reported by the AP today, representatives from the Obama administration are looking to resolve the dispute between several foreign governments and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) over the encryption security features employed by the device and its supporting services.
The last two weeks have seen the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and India threaten to block certain BlackBerry services because the encryption methods used by RIM do not permit governments to monitor communications.
"We are taking time to consult and analyze the full range of interests and issues at stake because we know that there is a legitimate security concern, but there's also a legitimate right of free use and access," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement.
State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley revealed that several representatives from US agencies are working with these governments and RIM on finding an appropriate solution to address security concerns. He also added that this effort should not be considered an endorsement of RIM or its products, but that the government does have a stake in these developments because a large number of its diplomats use BlackBerry devices.
Just this Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said it would begin blocking BlackBerry services beginning August 6 because the device’s encrypted messenger service does not allow for monitoring of communications, which the Saudi government claimed could be used to coordinate attacks against it.
RIM said earlier this week that it has spent years on hardening security at the request of enterprise customers, so there is no way for it or any third party to access the encrypted data.