The BlackBerry Debate And National Sovereignty

The US and Canadian governments and Blackberry maker Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) are on a crusade to make certain that the device and its service are not restricted in parts of the Middle East. Indonesia,  Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all have announced crackdowns on the service. At issue is whether something that facilitates free speech should be banned in nations where the governments see such activities as a threat to civil authority.

RIM has no choice but to admit that its encryption of communications between BlackBerry devices makes it impossible for governments to monitor what people email or text to one another. Other electronic communications are apparently easier to spy on.But, why shouldn’t the Saudis spy on their own citizens or foreign visitors to their country? By extension, why shouldn’t the Chinese monitor use of the internet of block services that promote the free flow of information?

Democracies argue that communication among consenting adults should not be blocked unless it threatens the national interest. That is a perverse argument because it is well-known that the US government monitors millions of communications looking for terrorists but almost never finds them. Free speech and communication in America is free until the government says that it is not. The Bush Administration was often criticized for violations of privacy in the name of national security. It argued that there had been no terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11, not an entirely indefensible position.

The BlackBerry issue tests the ability of countries to impose their wills on their citizens as they see fit. The US and Canada are arguing that the position is not reasonable. The two countries are also protecting RIM’s business prospects whether they are willing to admit to that or not.

RIM will lose customers unless they believe that their communications, which often stretch across the globe, are secure. The Saudis say that is not acceptable. No matter how abhorrent that may seem, it is, after all, their right. RIM will have to live with that or lose a lot of business.

Douglas A. McIntyre