Washington Post: UAE BlackBerry data ban to be enforced on visitors/tourists as well

The Washington Post is reporting that the United Arab Emirates’ plan to enforce a BlackBerry data ban on its citizens will extend to tourists and visitors of the country as well. As the Post puts it, the governments security policies are, “in direct conflict with the country’s ambitions to be a business and tourism haven.” Beginning October 11th even those with Blackberrys issued outside of the UAE will be without email, messaging, and web capabilities while visiting the Middle Eastern nation (the handsets will still be able to make phone calls). Roughly one hundred thousand people travel in and out of the Dubai International Airport every day, many of them on business. The U.S. State Department called the policy, “a move in the wrong direction.”

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