UAE's Etisalat silent on BlackBerry spyware

The UAE’s largest telecom provider Etisalat declined to comment on Thursday on a software update it sent to Blackberry users that the device's maker said was an unauthorized surveillance application.

The smartphone maker, Canada's Research in Motion Ltd (RIM), said on Tuesday that software the Emirates Telecommunications Corp. sent out to its users was not a BlackBerry Software Upgrade.

Etisalat had sent text messages to its Blackberry customers in the UAE in recent weeks prompting them to install software that promised to enhance the device's performance. Instead it led to problems such as heavy draining of the battery.

"RIM confirms that this software is not a patch, and it is not a RIM authorized upgrade. RIM did not develop this software application and RIM was not involved in any way in the testing, promotion or distribution of this software application," the Blackberry maker said in a statement.

Etisalat did not return several calls and emails from Al Arabiya seeking comment on Wednesday and Thursday.

RIM confirms that this software is not a patch, and it is not a RIM authorized upgrade. RIM did not develop this software application and RIM was not involved in any way in the testing, promotion or distribution of this software application

RIM

Unauthorized update patch

Hundreds of Blackberry smartphone owners in the UAE reported problems with their phones over the last few weeks after the update patch was sent out.

The telecom operator "appears to have distributed a telecommunications surveillance application" designed and developed by U.S. company SS8, said RIM.

The software, when installed, could enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the users' smartphone, RIM added.

Etisalat issued a statement last week saying the upgrade was necessary for "service enhancements" for issues related to "the handover between 2G to 3G network coverage areas."

However, RIM's statement said the company was not aware of any technical network issues related to the performance of BlackBerry smartphones on Etisalat's network in the UAE.

Most owners of Blackberry handheld phones in the UAE are high net worth business executives as well as expatriates, who comprise the majority of the population.