RIM: we couldn't listen in on conversations even if we wanted to

As a result of last week's extension of a ban by the French government on its workers using BlackBerrys to send and receive sensitive data, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion felt the compelling need to respond.

"No one, including RIM, has the ability to view the content of any data communication sent using the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution because all the data is encrypted," BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion told Agence France-Presse, the main newswire service for French media.

RIM also noted that The U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Austria and New Zealand have approved BlackBerrys for official use.

Then why the privacy concern? AHN (All Headline News) writer Ed Sutherland has a possible explanation.

"The worries could have their origin in the Cold War Echelon program said to intercept electronic communications," he writes. "The U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. are said to be working together on the program."