French Officials Banned From BlackBerry Use
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
PARIS — French government officials have been ordered not to use hand-held BlackBerry devices amid fears that the British or Americans might spy on them.
In the past, Americans have been warned to watch out for the French eavesdropping on their business activities. But now, workers in the private offices of President Sarkozy have been told their emails risk falling into foreign hands. The French General Secretariat for National Defense is worried because all BlackBerry e-mails transmit via servers based in Britain and America, and thus risk being picked up by agents at the U.S. National Security Agency or their British counterparts.
“The risks of interception are real, it’s economic warfare,” Alain Juillet, France’s head of economic intelligence, told Le Monde. Mr. Juillet pointed out that during meetings, American bankers and businessmen place their BlackBerrys on the table with the batteries removed to avoid suspicion of foul play.
