Hillary Clinton Will Work to Help Resolve UAE BlackBerry Dispute

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would work to help resolve the dispute between Research In Motion (RIMM) and the United Arab Emirates over the use of BlackBerry services.

"We know that there is a legitimate security concern, but there's also a legitimate right of free use and access," Clinton said Thursday, according to The Wall Street Journal. "So I think we will be pursuing both technical and expert discussions as we go."

Several countries have discussed restricting BlackBerry services. Saudi Arabia's restrictions are due to come into effect today.

The U.A.E said earlier this week that it would begin restricting some BlackBerry services starting October. It has dismissed criticism that is attacking free speech by highlighting the fact that other smartphones will continue to operate unrestricted.

Saudi Arabia also ordered a ban on BlackBerry services, and both India and Lebanon are considering bans.

BlackBerrys use data processed at RIM servers, the biggest of which is in Canada. Some governments have raised concerns that they cannot access the data without local proxy servers.

Canada's Ministry of International Trade is also in talks with the UAE and other governments to help resolve the dispute.