Indian Government Threatens RIM, Skype With Ban

gauharjk writes "India's Department of Telecommunications has been asked by the government to serve a notice to Skype and Research In Motion to ensure that their email and other data services comply with formats that can be read by security and intelligence agencies, or face a ban in India if they do not comply within 15 days. A similar notice is also being sent to Google, asking it to provide access to content on Gmail in a readable format."

So what happens if google says ok!?

[socz]

Does that mean they might potentially have access to my gmail? What about people who send mail to me? Does that mean that they automatically get the right to look in my inbox? What if they're spammers and they use that as cover?

I don't comprehend India's reasoning behind this. It's a serious case of "Hey, you're doing it wrong..." What is the point of protecting (encrypting) or communications if we just hand over a key?

I don't honestly expect G or anyone else to bend to their demands... but then again, most companies 'have a price' if it can be met.

Finally, what do you think the likelihood of ANY company allowing India's DoT to actually place one of THEIR servers in the companies network?

Rediculoussss! (*waves his wand*)

what do u think

[Anonymous Coward]

look here ever one is complaining, but what do you think of US government. Don't u think they have access to ur email and all those stuffs. Recent update was about ICQ chat going to russian company and US law enforcement agencies. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/06/26/2149233/US-Fears-Loss-of-ICQ-Honeypot [slashdot.org]. Take it ever one has to comply with individual nations monitoring laws....

Re:So what happens if google says ok!?

[tomhudson]

The problem is that RIM can't comply - their system is designed so that only the customer has the decryption key. The customer creates the key, not RIM. If India wants the key, they have to sue the customer, not RIM.

Re:This is all from the Mumbai terror attacks

[Caledfwlch]

So they want content in a readable format, are they going to prohibit VPNs? I'm sure there will be an outcry from all the companies outsourcing to their country. Anyway there will always be a way to hide information not matter how much they legislate.

RIM will probably tell the to fuck off too

[Sycraft-fu]

The whole thing that makes Blackberry's so popular in the US is their security features. Not just with the public either, the US Government loves them some Blackberrys. They are a major customer and threatened to intercede in the patent case (patents are an explicit right of the federal government, and the law allows them to take them away for various reasons). There are several reasons they like them so much, but the security is a big one. If you look at the BB lineup you find they nearly all are FIPS 140 complaint. Now most people wouldn't give a shit. You can have superb crypto without that extensive verification process. Well, the feds care, it is their standard after all.

So I can't imagine RIM is at all interested in weakening their security as it is a major selling point to their major customer.

Re:It all means nothing

[Cimexus]

Oblig: Australia does not have a web filter.

It only had an (unpopular) proposal to do so courtesy of a couple of retarded senators. Which has now basically been scrapped. The legislation never even made it to being drafted, let alone introduced into Parliament and debated.

Problem with Slashdot is that people read a few hyped up, overly dramatic headlines and think they know what's going on ;)