06.20.12

Skype in Microsoft’s Hands Gives NSA Access to International Phonecalls

Posted in GNU/Linux, Microsoft at 12:33 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Why the new version of Skype (with a new EULA) is a lot scarier than most people realise

LAST year we wrote about why Skype, once it’s based in the US, is subjected to scary laws that let the NSA spy on the whole world more effectively than ever before (it already has around 20 trillion items of information on US citizens alone, based on a now-largely-gagged whistleblower). Some of this is against the law, but the NSA is above the law anyway and we’ll produce some supporting links if someone insists on them (it’s not the main focus of this site though, so I am adding just a video at the top, for some context).

We already know that those who use Windows live in a universe of remote control by third party and blobs (the cost to society is vast), but now that a new version of Microsoft Skype is made available for GNU/Linux they offer us another back door (for our communication, address books, etc.).

Last year we explained the dangerous power that Skype gives to Microsoft (the original managers left), so we need not repeat it, but now that we know that Stuxnet was created by the US government we do know that Windows is being actively used by the US government for remote control. Some whitewash pieces such as this (blame-shifting) claim that the government is actually well inside Microsoft:

US government officials could be working under cover at Microsoft to help the country’s cyber-espionage programme, according to one leading security expert.

The warning comes in the wake of the Flame virus that targeted key computers in the Middle East, and in part used confidential Microsoft certificates in order to access machines.

With that in mind, do you trust the Microsoft-owned Skype? █

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2 Comments

Guest Editorial Team said,

July 1, 2012 at 12:26 am

Oooppps! Microsoft pushed Skype out by mistake as an update. Good luck keeping Microsoft’s more efficient, Linux powered spyware off your computers.

Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
July 1st, 2012 at 2:12 am
I’ve had a post about it coming.

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