SKYPE HELPING THE PO-PO SPY ON YOU
Skype is co-operating more closely with police to help them spy on users.
The online phone service, used by friends and families to keep in touch but also favored by political dissidents and criminals, is making online chat and other user information available to police, according to The Washington Post.
Surveillance of the audio and video feeds remains impractical, even when courts issue warrants, industry officials told the newspaper.
But the changes, apparently in effect since late last year, allow police surveillance of online chats, Skype’s instant
messaging feature, as well as access to addresses and credit card numbers of users.
COPS had complained that Skype’s encryption and other features made tracking drug lords, pedophiles and terrorists more difficult and police listening to traditional wiretaps have even heard suspects suggest ‘let’s talk on Skype’ because it is more secure, The Post reports.
Law enforcement are thrilled by the changes to Skype, which was acquired by Microsoft, known for working closely with authorities, in May 2011 for $8.5 million, but activists are wary.
“The issue is, to what extent are our communications being purpose-built to make surveillance easy?’” Lauren Weinstein, co-founder of People for Internet Responsibility, told The Post.
Skype, which has 600 million users worldwide, said in a statement: “As was true before the Microsoft acquisition, Skype cooperates with law enforcement agencies as is legally required and technically feasible.”
Skype calls connect computers directly rather than routing data through central servers, as many other Internet-based communication systems do, which makes it more difficult for police to intercept the call.
SCOOP: WASHINGTON POST
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
The online phone service, used by friends and families to keep in touch but also favored by political dissidents and criminals, is making online chat and other user information available to police, according to The Washington Post.
Surveillance of the audio and video feeds remains impractical, even when courts issue warrants, industry officials told the newspaper.
But the changes, apparently in effect since late last year, allow police surveillance of online chats, Skype’s instant
messaging feature, as well as access to addresses and credit card numbers of users.
COPS had complained that Skype’s encryption and other features made tracking drug lords, pedophiles and terrorists more difficult and police listening to traditional wiretaps have even heard suspects suggest ‘let’s talk on Skype’ because it is more secure, The Post reports.
Law enforcement are thrilled by the changes to Skype, which was acquired by Microsoft, known for working closely with authorities, in May 2011 for $8.5 million, but activists are wary.
“The issue is, to what extent are our communications being purpose-built to make surveillance easy?’” Lauren Weinstein, co-founder of People for Internet Responsibility, told The Post.
Skype, which has 600 million users worldwide, said in a statement: “As was true before the Microsoft acquisition, Skype cooperates with law enforcement agencies as is legally required and technically feasible.”
Skype calls connect computers directly rather than routing data through central servers, as many other Internet-based communication systems do, which makes it more difficult for police to intercept the call.
SCOOP: WASHINGTON POST
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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