The BlackBerry smart phone’s unique data encryption standards have made it a must-have by business executives, government officials, and others concerned about just who might be monitoring their communications.

But those standards are putting BlackBerry’s manufacturer, Research in Motion, into hot water with governments around the world.

VOA’s Doug Bernard has this look.

A media watchdog group called Reporters Without Borders has accused the United Arab Emirates of arresting people who used the popular BlackBerry device to organize a street protest against petrol price increases. The incident highlighted how governments around the world are increasingly using internet and mobile technology to undermine civil liberties.

Internet freedom activists say the Dubai episode is the latest incident in an alarming trend – that entire governments are censoring the internet.

VOA’s Mana Rabiee has much more here.