Clinton: U.S. will hold talks with U.A.E. over Blackberry ban

The news comes soon after Lebanon joined a list of countries raising security concerns regarding the Blackberry messaging services. The acting head of Lebanon’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority told Reuters on Thursday it will assess security concerns related to the use of the smartphones inside the country.

United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia banned some Blackberry services this week after complaining of their inability to monitor messages sent on the device’s secure servers for national security threats. India, Kuwait and Bahrain have also expressed concern over their lack of access and threatened to take action. U.A.E. has asserted it is merely seeking the same access afforded to the U.S. and other governments.

The State Department reacted with disappointment over the reports, saying the move “hinders the free flow of information, which is integral to an innovative economy.” Ontario-based parent company Research In Motion responded by denying it grants any country or third party access to its servers, which are designed to make it impossible to access any single customer’s encryption key.