BlackBerry recently announced its first Android-based smartphone. (Photo : Reuters)
In a move that seems like a crackdown on citizen's privacy, the Pakistani Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has issued a ban on messaging and internet services provided by BlackBerry.
Calling the ban a move designed for "security reasons," the PTA has informed mobile phone operators that offer services linked to Blackberry must be shut down by the end of the year, according to The Guardian.
Despite the advent of smart phones such as Apple Inc.'s iPhones and Samsung's android phones, there is still a dedicated market for BlackBerrys due to their added security features. Such features include encryption for messaging and emails, as well as data storage and processing in BlackBerry's server centers outside the country.
BlackBerry has said that their stance on cooperating with government requests for cooperation in tackling so called criminal actions will not undermine their main purpose of providing a secure communications platform for their customers.
The actions of the PTA are reminiscent of the bans set by the United Arab Emirates as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia back in 2010. Though Saudi Arabia has since lifted its ban, severe restrictions have been imposed on BlackBerry's services.
A similar ban that would have disallowed BlackBerry's services was also considered by Prime Minister David Cameron during the 2011 riots in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, a Privacy International report has revealed that the Pakistani Government has been using its intelligence agencies to spy on opposition politicians as well as monitoring and censoring journalists, lawyers and activists through the internet.
