Keep the spies from our computers

[Commentary] The shift over the past two decades towards the use of e-mail, the Internet and other technology - by both companies and individuals - has provided a potential trove of data for security services and governments. Were it not for barriers such as privacy laws, data encryption and companies' scruples, the world would a far easier place for police and spies. That is why the battle in the Gulf between the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, is vital. If companies that store and transmit vast amounts of personal data do not provide protection against routine snooping, we can all wave goodbye to a large slice of our privacy.