Deputy Communications Minister Kopeng Obed Bapela has called for the decryption of BlackBerry-type messenger services amid an increase in cyber-crime in this space.
Speaking at the Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference in East London yesterday, Bapela said South Africa might have to follow Britain and Saudi Arabia with a decryption system.
MPs in the UK have called for a BlackBerry Messenger block following the London riots, which spread to other cities. The police accessed BlackBerry messages to thwart planned riots.
Bapela said the government's intention would not be to spy on citizens, but that it would aim to tap into this prevention policy once a crime was committed, or potential threats came about.
He said the government would gazette the encryption process.
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