While providing safety from terrorists and other criminals is good for society, the loss of privacy is a serious cost for this benefit. Skype will also provide that data to government agencies on request. This demonstrates that Skype collects and stores Skype calls. We know that Skype provided the NSA with access to encrypted messages. The security data dump Edward Snowden provided included a lot of information on how Skype works with the government. But we now know that the company does collect a great deal of Skype data. Microsoft’s Privacy Policy does not provide much detail as to how much data is collected. This means they can collect and monitor all information you send and receive through Skype.

What Skype Privacy Issues Should Concern Me?Īll Skype chats, voice, and video calls are now routed through Microsoft controlled servers. This has altered the security and privacy of Skype in a way most users are completely unaware of. Far from the private, decentralized system, Skype now goes through Microsoft-owned servers. But the way the program connected users changed radically. The user experience has not changed much since its sale. With the purchase of Skype came changes in how Skype worked behind the scenes. The result was a surge in Skype use by business. Businesses now had a voice and video calling platform built into their current communications program. Microsoft replaced its business communications platform with a platform based around Skype. Part of what has fueled Skype’s growth is the business sector. This number has grown every year since 2009 and is estimated to grow to over 2 billion by 2023. Unfortunately, that is not the case today.Īs of 2017 there are over 1.3 billion registered Skype users.

Calls were encrypted and since they were not routed through a centralized server, privacy was all but guaranteed. This meant voice calls could be made through a decentralized system. Skype was invented as a peer-to-peer system. Below you can read about the information Skype collect on you and what they do with this knowledge. Users should be aware of the information the service collects about its users. Over the years, many privacy concerns with Skype have surfaced. Conceived as a decentralized service that kept information private, Microsoft now owns Skype.

The service is popular with friends and loved ones separated over great distances but is also an essential tool for many businesses. Skype is one of the biggest names in online communication – especially if you are looking to make a video call.

Skype video chat histort