Research in Motion offered on Thursday to lead an industry forum to look at India’s need to have "lawful access" to BlackBerry’s encrypted mail and messenger in the latest effort to stave off the blocking of the popular service in the world’s fastest growing telecoms market.
Executives of the Canadian firm have been meeting government officials in last-ditch negotiations aimed at finding a solution to India’s desire to access the encrypted data that security agencies fear could be misused to launch attacks or create political instability.
"RIM would lead an industry forum focused on supporting the lawful access needs of law enforcement agencies while preserving the legitimate information security needs of corporations and other organizations in India," the firm said in a statement.
"RIM has assured the government of India of its continued support and respect for India’s legal and national security requirements."
RIM said singling out BlackBerry for blocking would be counter-productive for India, as it would limit the efficiency and productivity of local firms.
Earlier, a senior government source said Home Secretary Gopal Pillai would be presented a report on the talks on Saturday, and on Monday would take a decision on RIM’s fate.
Governments around the world have been concerned that BlackBerry’s encrypted services could be used for activities from terrorism to peddling pornography.
