Nadim Kobeissi <na...@nadim.cc> wrote: > > Isn't it time for an open letter regarding Skype? >
I think this is a great idea. I tried and failed back in July to get straight answers from Skype regarding the data it is in a position to hand over to authorities. I found the level of obfuscation extremely frustrating. Skype has since denied that its architecture changes had anything to do with enabling comms interception ( http://blogs.skype.com/en/2012/07/what_does_skypes_architecture_do.html); however, it has failed to respond to other crucial questions, such as: why did Microsoft file a patent for a "legal intercept" technology specifically designed to help intercept Skype VoIP calls? Is the eventual aim to integrate this technology into the Skype architecture? I think Skype's 600 million users around the world have a right to know the answer to that question. As far as an open letter is concerned, it's worth noting that Eric King at Privacy International previously wrote to Skype asking some pertinent questions: https://www.privacyinternational.org/blog/skype-please-act-like-the-responsible-global-citizen-you-claim-to-be I'm not sure what response (if any) Eric received. Either way, I'm pretty sure he'd be willing to get involved with a fresh open letter effort. Personally speaking, I think any open letter should be endorsed by as diverse an array of groups as possible to reflect the broad range of stakeholders with legitimate concerns over Skype's security. This issue is extremely important to people working in my line of work (journalism), and of course it also matters not only to activists but to everyday citizens who want to know exactly what Skype can and can't do with their data. Feel free to get in touch with me if you are pushing forward with this, Nadim. I'd be more than happy to try to get on board some groups that represent the interests of journalists. Best, Ryan
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