The BlackBerry is a popular device for enterprises because of its renowned security features, including end-to-end encryption, which promise to protect company data from prying eyes. With the proper court authorization, however, the U.S. government can access such data, and other governments around the world are threatening to limit BlackBerry services unless they are given similar surveillance capabilities.

Saudi Arabia said that BlackBerry text messaging service will be banned beginning July 6 unless the three wireless operators in the country comply with the government's requests, The Wall Street Journal reported. The United Arab Emirates, apparently worried that national security information could be exposed via the servers running BlackBerry traffic, is planning to block a number of services beginning in October, including Internet access, messaging and email. India has also been pressuring the device's maker, Research in Motion, for access to the data.

Meanwhile, in a statement sent to customers this week, RIM (NASDAQ: RIMM) tried to provide reassurance that information sent over the BlackBerry is secure, reports CIO magazine's Al Sacco. "The BlackBerry security architecture for enterprise customers is based on a symmetric key system whereby the customer creates their own key and only the customer ever possesses a copy of their encryption key," the statement reportedly says. "RIM does not possess a 'master key', nor does any 'back door' exist in the system that would allow RIM or any third party to gain unauthorized access to the key or corporate data."

While data transmitted over any mobile device could theoretically be monitored by law enforcement with the proper authorization, the BlackBerry stands apart because its encrypted traffic is sent to servers managed by RIM, rather than telecom network operators.  

This could all bode well for the iPhone if Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) pounces on the opportunity to lure more business users away from the BlackBerry, as FastCompany's Kit Eaton points out. Unlike RIM, Apple doesn't have to worry about managing the traffic that is transmitted over its devices.

For more:
- see Wall Street Journal article
- see Al Sacco's post at CIO
- see Kit Eaton's post at FastCompany

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