A new security issue that has been boiling up. Which has different perpendiculars to it.
The Blackberry saga. That hi-fi business phone which has got all the savvy features.
The Indian leadership (along with that of several others - including UAE, Indonesia, Lebanon, etc) has a problem with its founders - Research In Motion (RIM).
The issue is this, quite simply: The government can't intercept data (ie emails and instant messages/chats) exchanged via blackberries. Which, rightly, poses a threat to the nation's security.
But, the rhetoric is here to stay - will terrorists/illegal elements stop functioning if the blackberry (worst come to worst) is banned? Is this a solution? Because we can't monitor XYZ, ban it?
Now, lets assume the Blackberry is banned. Great. So the government can have a record of all data being shuffled around in this system. Great (for the nation's security). But if you block me passage by an airline, won't I start using the train. If you block me passage by train, won't I use a car? Now you're not going to get cars off the roads!
They'll find new ways!
But why inconvenience the public because of this?
Or, this could open up another dimension, does the government want to keep all reins with itself (in the name of national security) but actually use it for espionage, or other benefits to elements of it? Yes, this is a highly fictional angle. But definitely worth pondering over.
So this should be an eye-opener. Tomorrow, if terrorists find out a way to not be traced/tracked on the internet; will the government put the gear to last-resort and press the ban-accelerator so quick? Yes, it will definitely contribute to the safety of the public. But what about general inconvenience?
Anyone listening to that?
