Skype VoIP apps do not comply with the Chinese laws.
Microsoft is facing an issue in China after the local authorities requested a removal of the Skype app from the App Store. According to Apple, the Ministry of Public Security has found that some VOIP apps do not comply with the law, and among these apps is Skype.
However, the app still works in the country for those who have previously installed it, at least until the service is disabled by the government who has the so-called ‘Great Firewall’ for blocking unwanted websites, apps and services in the country. The Chinese government blocked in the past services like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.
Skype, as other VOIP apps, uses end-to-end encryption, which is one of the areas that do not comply with the Chinese government.
For now, Skype is listed as ‘temporarily removed’ from the iPhone store, while Microsoft is working to find a solution of the situation, including a way to let the authorities identify accounts by the full names of the users. China also wants all foreign companies to store app data in the country – that’s why Apple opened a data center this summer.