back to article South Africa joins the call for BlackBerry messaging keys

South Africa has joined the call for access to the BlackBerry Messaging service, quoting the usual security concerns and pointing out that the UK plans much the same thing. BBM, the BlackBerry messaging service, has become the medium of choice for the discerning ne'er-do-well, which is strange considering it is a good deal …

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  1. Tom Chiverton 1
    FAIL

    I hear rumours

    I hear rumours that terrorists use water too. Best ban that too, unless you pay for a government approved 'pre-cracked' version.

  2. Mondo the Magnificent
    FAIL

    Big Brother...

    Crime in South Africa is still rampant at street level and if the SA government believe that they can "prevent crime" by accessing BBM mailboxes, well, pull the middle leg, it has bells.

    The ruling ANC party took a little bit of a battering in the last local elections and its party members and ministers have recently been exposed in nepotistic government tender deals.

    They are now pushing the Protection of Information Bill through parliment to gag the press, quite ironic seeing as they screamed for press freedom during the Apartheid era.

    I believe their underlying agenda for access to BBM servers is to keep tabs on their critics within the press and the opposition

  3. joe.user
    FAIL

    The minute RIM bent over for this, I knew it was over...

    Once someone got the "keys" (Saudi Arabia, first?) I knew it was all down hill from there.

    Everyone is so damn paranoid now the spy vs. spy is epic.

    Pretty soon we just won't talk at all for fear someone is listening.

  4. mike 32
    Headmaster

    Details re the "London Conference"

    The comments were made at SATNAC - the South African Telecommunications and Network Applications Conference, an annual conference hosted by Telkom, SA's monopolistic fixed-line operator, known for poor service, overcharging, poor broadband speeds (384kbps is still considered "broadband" here), hosted this year in East London, a city in the Eastern Cape.

    RIM, please don't give up our privacy! The ANC has turned evil, and I'll bet this has nefarious intentions.

    Further info here: http://www.satnac.org.za/

    I presented a paper from my MSc at SATNAC a few years ago - seems a good party was had in general by all except me - hit by a strep throat right after I presented in the first breakout session.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Holmes

    Not surprized it's South Africa

    They are proving to be at the forefront of backward regimes: support for Mugabe, foot-dragging on Gaddafi, and on the back foot of other issues I can't remember at the moment.

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