It seems that the UAE based telecommunication company, Etisalat, messed up big time. They sent out a message to all of it’s 100,000 Blackberry subscribers urging them to update their mobile with the latest Etisalat patch: “Etisalat network upgrade for BlackBerry service. Please download to ensure continuous service quality.”
The application slowed mobiles’ performances and drained their batteries. After a closer look at the patch they found out that it contains an application that allow the company to intercept and get a copy of each email and sms sent. This option is turned off by default, However, it could be turned out remotely if they wanted to.
“he said that once installed, it potentially gives Etisalat the power to view all emails and text messages sent from the BlackBerry.”
“I don’t think it’s been designed for a large scale deployment,” he said. “They have released it as an upgrade across all UAE BlackBerry handsets, all of which have tried to phone home to this one registration server at the same time, and that has effectively brought the server to its knees. When the BlackBerry cannot register itself, it tries again and this causes the battery drain.” – Nigel Gourlay
Thanks Hamad
I heard about this! Wonder if it’s true…
dumbshits …..
Read this too
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Technology/10331607.html
check here for more info, its confirmed 100%
http://tinyurl.com/mk4t7n
I’m always amazed at how quick people believe nonsense. Do you think a company has time to sit and sift through people’s emails and txts? Oh and by the way they own the whole network, any message or email you send is run through their service, they don’t need an upgrade for you to install in order for them to read what you write. They already can do that without your cooperation. Every internet and phone company can do that.
The upgrade is faulty; locals in UAE confirmed that it did ruin their devices but the spying part is a hoax.
Miss-Informed, you clearly are just that. Blackberry’s work in such a way that the operator cannot snoop upon the users in the same way they already do with any other device.
And a hoax? Try looking up the code at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/15/etisalat_blackberry_snooping/