Kuwait Calls for BlackBerry Porn Filter
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon all threatened to cut off BlackBerry services if RIM couldn't make certain allowances when it came to encryption practices. Now it looks as though Kuwait is joining them, albeit with a different request.
Reuters reports that Kuwait is in contact with RIM about security and moral concerns. Kuwait is said to be particularly worried about access to pornographic websites for its nationals. Despite ongoing talks, Communications Minister Mohammad al-Busairi said the country has no plans to stop BlackBerry services.
"As of right now, we in Kuwait have no intention to stop the BlackBerry services ... but at the same time we are following up on direct and indirect negotiations with the company and with fellow Gulf states," Busairi said.
RIM has asked for four months to address Kuwait's request to block pornographic websites.
Meanwhile, the three wireless carriers in Saudi Arabia are currently testing a fix that would negate the need to disconnect BlackBerry services. Last week word on the street was that Saudi Arabia was contemplating using Saudi Arabia-based servers, instead of RIM's Canada-based servers. An official from CITC's technical department confirmed this yesterday.
"Three servers are being tested, one for each of the three mobile operators. We're waiting for feedback (from the telecoms firms)," the official told Reuters.
Source: Reuters
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Who would use a blackberry for porn stuffing?
Why are other phones diffrent?
1. Business man wanted an escort
2. Because they are not invest any $ in RIM...
if its not this... then... I don't know the answers
All porn is filtered there but they can view it on blackberry because RIM servers bypass their proxies so they can't filter it them selves
I'm just glad that Kuwait has some sense. If you negotiate well, RIM will listen. It's been like this with many other governments worldwide.
Saudi Arabia and co. are just annoying, whiny kids that don't understand the ways of a civilized nation.
Kuwait is the most progressive of these shithole backwater nations. Still, most of them are racist assholes.
Thanks
I would have thought it would have been fine if the women were covered and gays in the video were shooped into a video being executed?
those tiny screens are barely big enough for midget pr0n
I just dont understand why a good Muslim man would surf porn or why the country would need a filter. arnt these people soposed to be the most rightous?
I just dont understand why a good Muslim man would surf porn or why the country would need a filter. arnt these people soposed to be the most rightous?
Riiiiight...
This is a nation where you can be arrested for kissing your own wife in a restaurant, exposing your knees or shoulders in public, but oddly enough there is no problem with rampant prostitution. Women who are raped can be arrested and put to death for having a child outside marriage, or worse, adultery because they had sex with another man. The whole Arabian Peninsula is nothing more than a 12th century culture dragged into the 21st century world because of oil.
In the West there is separation of Church and State for a good reason, over there religeon interferes too much.
hope they block it. pos Blackberries.
technically all regions have problem with porn if I'm not mistaken
but the problem in Kuwait is that most rim users are 12 years and above (and I'm being generous in saying 12 kids 8 years old here have mobiles) so their concerns is mainly for the minors
irh_1974 do you really believe that? its 2010 stop getting your facts from movies
it took the Western civilization many decades to finally get where they are today so its not fair to compare it to country's that got their independents 50 or 60 years ago
I can't wait for us to get off oil so we can tell these desert savages what's what...
it took the Western civilization many decades to finally get where they are today so its not fair to compare it to country's that got their independents 50 or 60 years ago
It took Western civilisation a bit more than many decades, supposedly Persia was the cradle of civilisation thousands of years ago. They were the most progressive, civilised and cultured peoples in the world when England was nothing more than savages living in mud huts.
The Western world has got where it has over thousands of years and all the strife that has gone with it.
How come seeing as they had a couple of millenia headstart the Arab world isn't exploring the galaxy?
And as for getting my information from movies, I have actually been there. When was the last time you went?
technically all regions have problem with porn if I'm not mistakenbut the problem in Kuwait is that most rim users are 12 years and above (and I'm being generous in saying 12 kids 8 years old here have mobiles) so their concerns is mainly for the minors
"OH NO THE CHILDREN". Please, that argument is about as sound as trying to cross the Atlantic in a bucket made from paper.
Stopping porn is down the parent, not the government. No exceptions. The government is out to look after the interests of it's people, not the morals.
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I wish people would stop trying to defend the Arabian peninsula, and Islam just because they want to seem liberal. I can say, I have, first hand, as someone who has extremely close experiences with the Arabian peninsula can say; it's half as terrible as the media portrays. Not completely, but half, and that's still pretty damn bad.
Honestly, if I had to be woken up at 5am by preachers in mosques shouting "WAKE UP BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE PRAYING" every day, I'd go insane. In fact, I did, it was horrible. I'm glad such behaviour is illegal here, and not almost-mandatory.
I still live in Kuwait and I agree with irh_1974. The facts he/she gave are true. While it may not always be enforced, if you offend the wrong person with your clothing, your affection, you're gonna have problems.
I will say the argument for children having Blackberries here could be a concern. Many preteens have BB's so I see that as a valid concern.
I'm Kuwaiti
Its true that the laws here forbids such behaviors and acts but in reality people here are diverse and range from the most extreme to the very liberals
hell for the right price you can find almost anything alcohol ,guns , prostitute etc
but my point is we aren't living in tents and ride camels and start wars
most of the instructors in my university are Americans and they love living in Kuwait their only complain is the weather and some time when they cant find alcohol
Let's be honest here. The countries complaining about Blackberry servers aren't that free. These governments are just mad that they have no visability over and can't control what Blackberry users are doing or looking at. If you can't control it, just threaten to close it down. It works in China (in theory anyway).
I'm KuwaitiIts true that the laws here forbids such behaviors and acts but in reality people here are diverse and range from the most extreme to the very liberalshell for the right price you can find almost anything alcohol ,guns , prostitute etcbut my point is we aren't living in tents and ride camels and start warsmost of the instructors in my university are Americans and they love living in Kuwait their only complain is the weather and some time when they cant find alcohol
That's the funny thing about the Middle East, everything is great, as long as the laws aren't enforced.
That's the funny thing about the Middle East, everything is great, as long as the laws aren't enforced.
Can't that be said with any region, country, etc? That doesn't apply only to SW Asia
Can't that be said with any region, country, etc? That doesn't apply only to SW Asia
Not really. In Western countries, for the most part laws are considered good. Sure there are some laws that people think need to be revised (copyright), but the vast majority are followed regularly.
sadly its true
if you want to compare Kuwait with the rest of the neighboring country even maybe the the entire region its one of the well organized law abiding and progressive countries
but to be honest the bar isn't that high and I wish one day every thing changes
in my opinion our biggest problem is that we consume like the Western countries and produce like developing countries
our dependences on only oil will be our downfall
If all of you don't watch porn on BlackBerry then why are you against blocking it?
If all of you don't watch porn on BlackBerry then why are you against blocking it?
Any kind of censoring should be fought on general principles.
Any kind of censoring should be fought on general principles.
What about child porn?
What about child porn?
That shouldn't be censored either.
That shouldn't be censored either.
Ok, just checking. I'm glad you're sticking to your guns. I'm don't think you'll get many supporters around here though.
Ok, just checking. I'm glad you're sticking to your guns. I'm don't think you'll get many supporters around here though.
Well when you think about it why should child porn be illegal while say those Iraq beheading videos are not? They're both evidence of terrible crimes that can inspire some sick people... yet you don't go to jail for having videos of screaming innocents having their heads cut off. You can enjoy that to your heart's content.
If you start censoring information (and videos are information really), then where's the limit? If the line is drawn at child porn that's great but as we can see from examples all around the world, oppressive governments just don't know where to stop and you never know who's going to be in charge in your country in a few years.
Well when you think about it why should child porn be illegal while say those Iraq beheading videos are not? They're both evidence of terrible crimes that can inspire some sick people... yet you don't go to jail for having videos of screaming innocents having their heads cut off. You can enjoy that to your heart's content.If you start censoring information (and videos are information really), then where's the limit? If the line is drawn at child porn that's great but as we can see from examples all around the world, oppressive governments just don't know where to stop and you never know who's going to be in charge in your country in a few years.
I agree with you on principle. I don't really think kiddie porn should be illegal, but that child abuse (which making child porn is) should be illegal.
At least Kuwait is taking the negotiation route, unlike its neighbors.