NEW DELHI: BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) on Thursday skipped a crucial meeting with the government over national security fears.
Private service providers Vodafone and Airtel were also absent at the meeting. According to a private TV channel, the mobile mobile phone operators said that they were not invited to the meeting and that a top RIM official is now meeting a home ministry official.
Worried about national security, interior ministry held the meeting to press for a deadline to be fixed for RIM to share encryption details.
A senior government official said on Wednesday that if there was no solution, the government would ask mobile phone operators to block BlackBerry messaging and email until RIM provides access to data transmitted over the handset.
A shutdown would affect one million of the smartphone’s 41 million users. India is one of RIM’s fastest growing markets.
If a shutdown takes effect, BlackBerry users in India would only be able to use the devices for phone calls and Internet browsing.
The Indian demands follow a deal with Saudi Arabia, where a source said RIM has agreed to give authorities codes for BlackBerry Messenger users. The United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Algeria are also seeking access.
India fears BlackBerry could provide cover for militant activities. In 2008, a Pakistani-based group used mobile and satellite phones to coordinate attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people.