BlackBerry Messenger Data Interception Solution Ready for Indian Government

Local media reports that RIM has provided a cloud-based solution to the Indian government that would allow its national security agencies to access encrypted BlackBerry Messenger communications.

According to India Times, RIM has informed the government via a letter that it is ready to receive and process lawful interception requests through the new system.

In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs mandated the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to inspect the technology and make sure it conforms with its requirements.

Since the middle of 2010, RIM has been caught in negotiations with the Indian government over lawful interception of communications from its BlackBerry data services.

The original deadline given by the government to the company was extended three times. India Times reports that the date until RIM has to provide a working solution is January 31, but according to Computer Weekly the Canadian company denies this.

A RIM spokesman stressed that the new "network data analysis system," which Indian carriers will use to provide authorities with access to BlackBerry communications, is restricted to data from consumer services like the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).

"This type of lawful access is also required by the government of India for other consumer services provided by RIM's competitors in India," he noted.

Access to corporate email data encrypted through the BlackBerry Enterprise Servers (BES) operated by private companies, is not part of the deal and couldn't be, because it is "technologically infeasible."

RIM claims that it's infrastructure only carries email data from BES servers to BlackBerry users, without knowing the encryption key like in the case of BBM.

"[...] The government of India has in fact accepted and acknowledged that any concerns about the use of strong encryption for corporate and government data is not a matter specific to Blackberry and that lawful access to such encrypted data is actually an industry matter," the RIM spokesperson concluded.