Research In Motion, the maker of BlackBerry mobile devices, has announced that it will be allowing security agencies from India only to do legal data monitoring of its subscribers. It is worth noting here that India has already asked RIM to offer access to e-mail and messenger data or face ban.

The Canada-based Research In Motion (RIM) said in a statement that it allows carriers to access data only in cases of national security incidents and that too only as governed by the country’s judicial oversight and rules of law.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

India has threatened to shut down BlackBerry e-mail and instant messaging services by August 31, unless RIM granted security agencies the technology to decrypt BlackBerry communications, citing national security concerns.

Although some experts have said that RIM’s decision to only allow access to its data when ordered to do so by a judge might be problematic in certain countries where the judiciary is less than impartial, the company said that it maintains a “consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific countries”.

“Although RIM cannot disclose confidential regulatory discussions that take place with any government, RIM assures its customers that it genuinely tries to be as cooperative as possible with governments in the spirit of supporting legal and national security requirements, while also preserving the lawful needs of citizens and corporations,” RIM said.

India, having an estimated one million BlackBerry subscribers, wants access in a readable format to encrypted BlackBerry communication on grounds that it could be used by militant forces.

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