Thread: RIM to enforce new smartphone rules created by UAE

The United Arab Emirates has said it will stop individuals and small businesses from using RIM's highly secured BlackBerry corporate-email services. The restriction, effective May 1, applies only to individuals and businesses with fewer than 20 subscriptions to BlackBerry Enterprise Services accounts, said a spokeswoman for the U.A.E.'s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

RIM also says limits imposed by the United Arab Emirates on its handheld BlackBerry device will probably apply to other smartphones too. RIM said in an e-mailed statement Sunday that having been in touch with the regulator, it understood that other smartphone makers could also face restrictions:

“The TRA has confirmed to RIM that any potential policy regarding enterprise services in the UAE would be an industry-wide policy applying equally to all enterprise solution providers.”

The proposed policy change comes with the UAE’s push to gain more control over smartphone data. Six months ago, the federation opted out of its threat of a sweeping ban on the most popular BlackBerry services.

What do you think? Are the new UAE restrictions fair to the little guy?