Nigeria Content Online

In the last one month, Research In Motion (RIM), the Blackberry producer, had faced threats of ban in some Middle East countries as the governments asked for access to monitor communications on the Blackberry phones.

But in a piece at Boosh Articles.com, the ban mooted by Saudi Arabia on the smart phone has been resolved, and RIM has been allowed to continue its service in the country.
Away from the Middle East, the Indian government is also said to be considering giving RIM one or two month extension to find a solution giving Indian security agencies access to its corporate e-mail services, and instant messaging, among others.
Business Standard reported that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to ask the
government to extend the deadline as RIM needs time to provide real time access to its corporate e-mails, etc.
However, in an email message in response to enquiries, Christa Botha, RIM corporate communications manager for Sub- Sahara Africa said, “RIM operates in over 175 countries today and provides a security architecture that is widely accepted by security conscious customers and governments around the world.

“RIM respects both the regulatory requirements of government and the security and privacy needs of corporations and consumers. RIM does not disclose confidential regulatory discussions that take place with any government .
However, RIM assures its customers that it is committed to continue delivering highly secure and innovative products that satisfy the needs of both customers and governments,” added Ms. Botha.

Not a new controversy

But the controversy is not entirely new as it borders on countries that are traditionally not known for openness. A columnist and technology watcher, Kenneth Ugbechie, said, “The Middle East is insulated; it is not an open society like the United States and some parts of Europe.
Technology development is good; they should look at the positive side as it supersedes the negative.
“Apart from that, they are also infringing on people’s fundamental rights to want to monitor their communication. I don’t think that should be.
This is not a right time for any developing country to want to control their communications services,” he said.
However, Mr Ugbechie explained that such control of communication cannot take place in Nigeria, as the country is still developing its communication services.
“Nigeria is still growing in its democracy system and I do not think the government would think about having access to communications transmitted by people .
The fuel of democracy is information. We do not even have enough access to information yet.
“I do not want the federal government to go that line because we have not even communicated well amongst ourselves ,” added Mr Ugbechie.