SKYPE is Falling

To all SKYPE users,

I have used the SKYPE internet phone call program for more than a decade now. Some time ago the program declined access and asked for more information; birthdate, telefone numbers, Microsoft user id, address and others. They also asked me to favorit them in Facebook, Twitter and other data collection disservices. Those things have nothing to do with my internet calls and are completely irrelevant information.

I sent them a message and asked them to cancel my account and demanded my Money back in case the service continues inoperable. They promised to check the issue but have not returned any information for over a week. Therefore, have asked them to cancel the service and pay back my credits in their system. It is a pity since before Microsoft got their hands on SKYPE it has been working just OK. You know that the internet phone calls are recorded by the intelligence disservices, but somehow it did not matter too much. However, recording my calls is illegal and very bad behavior that destroys the trust between a client and the service provider.

I also contacted the credit card company to put the latest credit card payment on hold untill the dispute is resolved or otherwise cancel it.

I'm asking all other SKYPE users to do likewise and send the peeping Toms a clear message. We don"t want you to spy on us! Microsof should change the service to SPYKE, because that describes it better.

Kind Regards,

Less Prone

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Central Scrutinizer on August 9, 2014 at 1:16pm

why i use a magikJack for 7 years now ;) They want no info....they just want 29.95 a year ;)

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Permalink Reply by Garry Best on August 9, 2014 at 4:53pm

Just yesterday I installed Skype in Linux 17. Got rid of windows because of their shitty platform. But went to Skype my daughter in Christchurch NZ and lo and behold insufficient credit. Well I get credit card out to topup and I cant topup in NZ $, only foreign currencies. All seems like a waste of effort. Now that microsoft own it things will not get any better. Windows 8.1 is a fine example of their product. Yeah rite.

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Permalink Reply by Less Prone on August 9, 2014 at 9:38pm

MS is more interested in spying than providing a reliable product. I also favor Linux over Windows.

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Permalink Reply by Central Scrutinizer on August 9, 2014 at 11:06pm

check out "Tails"...on the fly CD OS, (Unix) setup for anonymity and Tor ;)

been messin w/ it for about a week now

Tails is a live operating system, that you can start on almost any computer from a DVD, USB stick, or SD card. It aims at preserving your privacy and anonymity, and helps you to:

use the Internet anonymously and circumvent censorship;
all connections to the Internet are forced to go through the Tor network;
leave no trace on the computer you are using unless you ask it explicitly;
use state-of-the-art cryptographic tools to encrypt your files, emails and instant messaging.

For help with TAILS, a good starting point is https://tails.boum.org/doc/first_steps/index.en.html.

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Permalink Reply by Less Prone on August 10, 2014 at 7:51am

I'm not confident with TOR, too much government involvement.

Peeling the onion: Almost everyone involved in developing Tor was (or is) funded by the US government

Tor Created for U.S. Gov't Spying

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Permalink Reply by Less Prone on June 30, 2015 at 9:13pm

20071029-lerm-faq.doc Responding to Law Enforcement Records Requests Skype Communications Sarl has establishe d a Law Enforcement Relations hip Management (LERM) Team to ensure the safe and responsible use of its communications platforms and to encourage legal pros ecution of those responsible for misconduct on them. LERM handles all inbound requests from law enforcement for records concerning Skype users. All relevant records are maintained by Skype Communications Sarl, a Luxembourg corporation. Subpoenas must be lodged against: Skype Communications Sarl, 22/24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg. To formally request records, please se nd the subpoena to Skype LERM by fax: +352 26 20 15 82 Please follow the fax by mailing a hard copy of the subpoena or order to: Skype Communications Sarl, Law Enforcement Relationship Management, 22/24 Boul evard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg. When Skype’s LERM receives a faxed subpoena, the team will begin preparing the informati on, but will onl y release the records upon receipt of the mailed document. Skype LERM can provide th e following records: In response to a subpoena or other court order, Skype will provide: • Registration information provided at time of account registration • E-mail address • IP address at the time of registration • Financial transactions conducted with Skype in the past ye ar, although details of the credit cards used are stored only by the billing provider used (fo r instance, Bibit, RBS or PayPal) • Destination telephone numbers for any calls placed to the public sw itched telephone network (PSTN) • All service and account inform ation, including any billing address(es) pr ovided, IP address (at each transaction), and complete transactional information Skype is not able to comply with non-subpoena requests, verbal requests or letter requests, ev en if placed on department letterhead. All requests for Skype records require a subpoena. Suggestions for Effective Data Requests: • In order to obtain all subject operated accounts, request “any and all related accounts” • Be sure to request non-disclosure if you do not want your request disclosed to the account holder • Include your e-mail address, phone number, fax number and physical addre ss (no post office boxes) • To assist us in searching for records, please include the following in your request (if available): - Specific e-mail address of the subject - Full name of the subject and any aliases - Known addresses and phone numbers - Known IP addresses used by the subject General Information: • Skype can provide reco rds showing account creation, financial transaction and use of PSTN interconnections • Due to the way by which Skype works, Skype does NOT have any records of user “logins”, “log offs” or other general online/offline status • The Skype system is designed in such a way that voicemail is not centrally stored • Calls, IMs and other activities between Skype users do not create billing records • All records are dated in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). All dates are formatted yyyy- mm-dd hh:mm:ss using 24-hour clock time. • Average turnaround time for all requests is up to ten business days, depending on the volume of information requested For any further questions you may have of Skype’s Global Law Enforcement Relationship Management please send an e-mail to: lerm@skype.net This e-mail address is reserved strictly for Law Enforcement and Government Agencies. Please do not distribute it outside of your organization.

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