Invasion of privacy by Skype on it’s user and customer population. Issue on targeted surveillance on Skype users by Tom.com and Skype in China. Recording and blocking of text chats.

Companies involved : Skype, Ebay, Tom.com.

"TOM-Skype, eBay's joint venture in China, is recording customer text chats and censoring them if they contain certain keywords related to topics the government deems objectionable, according to a report released on Wednesday (PDF) by researchers in Canada.

"TOM-Skype is censoring and logging text chat messages that contain specific, sensitive keywords and may be engaged in more targeted surveillance," the report concludes. "What is clear is that TOM-Skype is engaging in extensive surveillance with seemingly little regard for the security and privacy of Skype users. This is in direct contradiction of Skype's public statements regarding their policies in China. The keywords that trigger action include words related to Taiwanese independence, the banned religious group Falun Gong, and political opposition to the Chinese Communist Party, says the report from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto.

The service also routinely logs and captures millions of records that include personal information and contact details for any text chat and voice calls placed to TOM-Skype users, including calls from Skype users, the researchers found.  Not only is the data collection suspect, but there are inadequate safeguards to protect the privacy of the TOM-Skype users, according to the report. The records and information needed to decrypt the log files are kept on servers that are accessible by the public.

"This is the worst nightmares of the conspiracy theorists around surveillance coming true," Ronald J. Deibert, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told The New York Times. "It's X-Files without the aliens."  Representatives from eBay did not immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment on the report. " source : Report: Skype service in China recording, censoring messages

My take : Interesting observation in this research to say the least. Skype does seems to comply with rules and regulations there. What is the policy of Skype globally on chat and call recording ? Under what conditions are users monitored ? What type of hardware, software is being used for this ?

Is the Skype 4.0 beta 2 also tweaked for tom.com ? What else is hidden in the Skype black box…

Definitely a question to ask when Josh Silverman or Mike Bartlet (probably surround by the cordon sanitaire of the three monkeys, Skype's PR advisor) when the pop up on some public conference. And the question would sound like this : "what adjustments has Skype been making in the Skype client for Tom.com / China so users can be monitored  ? " The point is that Skype is far of it's original rebel character  embedded in their grassroots (remember Kazaa-founders, Niklas and Jaanus and so forth). Remember how Skype could force end to wiretapping calls

Skype is in the hands of Ebay now. I wonder if they are also recording chats and conversation of people that are suspected terrorists based in the USA… I would not surprise me with the whole story around surveillance. So what happens in China probably also happens in the US and other countries on the matter of tracking Skype conversation. I think it is a piece of cake for the current Skype company to authorize and provide forensics access to the any Skype user on the cloud. They could easily apply the existing feature of dual and triple login without notification and acquire contact-lists, phonenumbers and monitor chats. Anybody needs a Skype 3 phone ? You will never know that another entity is listening into your private  and confidential chats. Oh and by the way : Skype made that possible because the still believe that the dual and triple login without notification is a feature… Rediculous and not so smart thinking, I would say.

And here a message to Jim Courtney an Phill Wolff from Skypejournal.com : address the above issue next time when you talk to the Skype CEO. If you don't it, then it is clear to me that Skypejournal.com with it's independent reporting on Skype matter is truly a Skype Cheerleader. We'll see what happens, we'll see what you ask or not ask. Dear to be ask controversial question or become an extension of the Skype Public Relations and it's marketing. Good luck with the next story. I can't wait to see these kind of questions answered. Blogs have to be independent and ask what it is on the mind of the users. This topic surely is !