BlackBerry caved to Saudi demands: rights group

BlackBerry messenger services will continue in Saudi Arabia after the company reportedly satisfied the kingdom's demands for data access. It is unclear exactly what Saudi Arabia requested or what BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) allowed.

But it amounts to RIM caving in to Saudi Arabia and compromising the security of users' phone data, says Robert Guerra of Freedom House. "RIM's decision to capitulate so easily says that their corporate interests are most important," says Mr. Guerra, the Internet freedom project director of the Washington-based watchdog group. "It's all about business - they didn't want to lose (a) market."