Goodbye Skype. China’s internet censorship juggernaut rolls on without its former cyber tsar

Beijing is continuing to tighten its grip on cyberspace with the removal of internet phone services, including Microsoft’s popular Skype application, from China’s app stores.

The app’s disappearance came as the Communist Party’s watchdog announced that former internet tsar Lu Wei had been detained on suspicion of “serious violations of party discipline”, a euphemism for graft.
Skype was not available in app stores in China overseen by Apple, Tencent and Qihoo 360 Technology. Alphabet’s Google Play app store is not available in China.
Asked about the disappearance of Skype from the App Store, Apple said late on Tuesday that it had removed several internet phone call apps from the outlet in China after the country’s government said they violated local laws.
“We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law. Therefore these apps have been removed from the App Store in China,” an Apple spokeswoman said.
“These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business.”

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