Provided are a method and a mechanism for dynamically controlling the performance of communication-related operations of a mobile device in accordance with legislative requirements of the particular location of the mobile device and the location of the computing device with which it is to communicate, and also in accordance with communication requirements of application programs at either end of the communication link. A first use of the invention is for ensuring conformance of a mobile device's communications to the cryptographic requirements of different countries, even when the device crosses a country boundary during communication.