Skype has been working very closely with police by giving them private information about its customers. While this should not be surprising to any who pay attention, it is nonetheless discouraging.
Changes in the law since last year allow police to capture private “online chats, Skype’s instant messaging feature, as well as access to addresses and credit card numbers of users,” this according to the Washington Post.
Much of the problem lies in the fact that Skype was acquired by Microsoft, and Microsoft has for a long time worked closely (divulged private information about its users) with “authorities.” That company should not be trusted, but most all communication companies and social sites cooperate with illegal or immoral orders from the state.
Skype in the past was well known for its protection of customer conversations, but those days are apparently long gone. I would hope that any communication company, or any other company that would share private customer information with state “authorities,” would be avoided by the consumer. This is most likely a pipe dream, because the average person does not understand the great danger posed when all is exposed to the powerful state. Even if they did, they would most likely choose convenience over privacy.
So long as people in general are willing to allow this kind of invasion, and without so much as voicing their opinion, then it will continue to get worse. So long as the consumer is more interested in their silly games and chat than in their privacy, then liberty will suffer. The order of importance of convenience over privacy is terribly misplaced. Because of this fact, all who value the sanctity of privacy and freedom will be irreparably harmed.