BlackBerry alleges UAE company placed 'spyware' on handsets
The makers of BlackBerry devices have alleged that a software update issued by the UAE telecommunications company Etisalat contained 'spyware', the Dubai media reported.
BlackBerry's parent company Research in Motion alleged the software offered by Etisalat could "enable unauthorised access to private or confidential information stored on the user's smartphone", according to a statement reported by several newspapers.
"RIM confirms that this software is not a patch and it is not a RIM-authorised 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," it said.
The Khaleej Times newspaper alleged the "snifferware" could intercept emails and drain battery life quickly, with more than 300 users reporting that the phone had been rendered useless with the battery dying in less than 60 minutes.
There was no immediate comment from Etisalat on Research in Motion's allegation. But the company, which offered the "performance enhancing" patch to the 145,000 BlackBerry users on its network earlier this month, issued a statement last week addressing the reported faults. It said:
"Etisalat today confirmed that a conflict in the settings in some BlackBerry devices has led to a slight technical fault while upgrading the software of these devices. This has resulted in reduced battery life in a very limited number of devices. Etisalat has received approximately 300 complaints to date, out of its total customer base which exceeds 145,000."
"These upgrades were required for service enhancements particularly for issues identified related to the handover between 2G to 3G network coverage areas."