Lebanon wants programme to access BlackBerry info

Lebanon hopes BlackBerry maker Research In Motion will give the country a programme that would allow it to access information used on the smartphone device, the telecommunications minister said.

Lebanon hopes BlackBerry maker Research In Motion will give the country a programme that would allow it to access information used on the smartphone device, the telecommunications minister said.

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RIM is facing pressure to open up its super-secure network to government scrutiny with a growing number of countries demanding access to encrypted communications sent through the device, citing national security concerns.

Lebanon's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said on Thursday it would assess security concerns relating to BlackBerry use.

Lebanon's worries over BlackBerry coincide with widespread concern over the integrity of the telecom network following the arrest of three people on suspicion of spying for Israel.

Security sources say there are fears BlackBerrys could be used by Islamist groups or spies, beyond the reach of state monitoring.