DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Bahrain’s foreign minister says the country has no plans to follow its Persian Gulf neighbors in banning some BlackBerry services because security fears do not outweigh the technological benefits.
Sheik Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa told The Associated Press the devices raise legitimate security concerns, but he says Bahrain has decided that banning some of the phones’ features is “not a way of dealing with it.”
The comments come as device maker Research in Motion negotiates with Saudi authorities to avoid a ban on messaging services on the devices.
The neighboring United Arab Emirates is planning an even more sweeping ban on BlackBerry data services starting in October.
