The UAE says BlackBerry smartphones operate outside of existing national security legislation, raising questions about the devices' legality in the Mideast business hub.
The country's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in a statement carried late Sunday on state news agency WAM that BlackBerry applications allow people to "misuse the service."
It says this can cause "serious social, judicial and national security repercussions."
The TRA and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
BlackBerry devices have been subjected to scrutiny before. An Emirati state phone company last year told customers to install software that could let outsiders view users' private information.
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