Give us control or shut down, govt warns smartphone operators

Amid the controversy over smartphone maker Research In Motion being unwilling (or unable, as it claims) to provide the government with means to intercept communications sent through its BlackBerry services, the department of telecommunications (DoT) today said it was looking at various kinds of messenger services and discussing the matter with the ministry of home affairs.

Under the DoT scanner is not only BlackBerry but other providers of similar services like Skype and Gtalks.

"We are in dialogue with the home ministry separately, so it will be between the two departments to do whatever is necessary as far as the interception is concerned," telecom secretary R Chandrasekhar told reporters in New Delhi today.

According to a report, the makers of these smartphones will have to inform the government by 31 March the deadlines by which security agencies will be given the facility to intercept their services.

At the same time, having utterly failed to browbeat RIM due to pressure from the Canadian and other governments, the centre has been turning its guns on domestic service providers, who are more at its mercy.

"The home ministry has asked the department of telecommunication (DoT) to ensure that all telecom operators submit their plans by the end of this month on when they can provide access to all services, including BlackBerry's BES, whenever there is a necessity for the security agencies," a senior DoT official said.