Skype Removed From Apple and Android App Stores in China
One of Microsoft's most useful apps has been removed in China for failing to comply with local law.
According to a Reuters report, internet calling and messaging service Skype has been removed from app stores in the Asian country. The app can no longer be downloaded from both the Apple and Android app stores for nearly a month.
"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," explained a spokeswoman from Apple earlier this week via an emailed statement. "These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business," she added.
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Reuters also noted that the Chinese government has tightened its screening of internet applications for the year. The government has been ordering companies to remove hundreds of different apps that allow the people to communicate with confidentiality. These included the apps that allowed users to go around the country's "Great Firewall" censorship system and use social media from other countries.
Meanwhile, Microsoft told the BBC that Skype had been "temporarily removed," though the tech giant is working double time to "reinstate the app as soon as possible." Furthermore, another Microsoft representative also confirmed the situation in relation to the app's iOS version, noting that it "has been temporarily removed from the app store in China... we're passionate about the benefit that Skype offers to our users around the world by facilitating communication and enabling collaboration."
Microsoft did not reveal the exact date of the disruption, nor any official details concerning the status of Skype in the Android store.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that the app's suspension drew numerous complaints from Chinese users. The users shared that the disruption started sometime in the latter part of October. Nevertheless, Skype is reported to still function in the country, though its fate has become clouded with uncertainty with its removal from the Apple and Android app stores.
