RIM to meet UK over BlackBerry skipping porn filter
updated 05:10 am EST, Mon December 19, 2011
RIM to come up with solution for UK porn filter
RIM has been summoned to a meeting with the UK’s independent regulator of its communication industries, Ofcom, over the way its devices and services circumvent carrier porn blocking technology. The problem is unique in the UK to BlackBerry handsets and is especially concerning for local authorities as RIM’s phones remain popular with the younger demographic in the UK. The filtering technology works on the iPhone and Android handsets, but young kids can still access porn on their BlackBerry's.
“It was brought to our attention that there was a problem,” an Ofcom spokesman said.
“It is to do with the way in which the BlackBerry operating system works. We are very concerned and want to get this resolved as quickly as possible.”
RIM is said to have offered its own filtering service to the carriers, but this was only taken up by T-Mobile. The problem lies with the way RIM’s phones are tied into a central server that also compresses data to make web surfing a more efficient experience. This by-passes the standard porn filter.
Of the eight million BlackBerry users in the UK, the significant majority are under the age of 18. The popularity of the devices has stemmed from RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger service that allows users to send free messages to each other. This separate feature got RIM in hot water with UK authorities earlier this year as the encrypted Messenger service allowed youths to organize the London riots without authorities being able to eavesdrop on transmissions. [via The Telegraph]
