Skype Removed from Mobile App Stores in China

Skype—Microsoft’s application for the Android and iOS users has been removed for almost a month from a number of app stores in China. According to the report of The New York Times, Skype has been removed because of the local news that applies to VoIP services in the country.

Skype was one of the last international connectivity applications in China.

An Apple’s Spokesperson told NYT that they have received a notification from the Public Security Ministry that some voice over internet apps do not abide by the local laws of the Republic. The reason why these apps are removed from the app stores in China.

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Google’s official Play Store (for downloading apps) is not operatable in China, other third-party Android app service providers have also removed Skype from their pool of offered apps. This cannot be said with clarity that for how long Skype would remain suspended from the app stores of China.

Microsoft’s spokesperson mentioned that Skype has been removed temporarily from the Apple’s App Store in China and the software giant is working on restoring the app as soon as they possibly could.

The Skype removal is not the first app to get blocked. This suspension has followed the earlier pattern via which China blocked WhatsApp. Skype removal came months after WhatsApp blockage. Chinese filters have also blocked services like Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail.

The disappearance of Skype did not go well with the Chinese users and they launched many complaints on internet message boards. They reported that they started having disturbance with the app in late October.

The removal of Skype from the app stores in China is the most current example by the Chinese government depicting that they want to be in full control of the flow of information exchange online.

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