Apple Removes Skype From China App Store

Microsoft's Skype messenger is not available for download on Chinese app download services, including Apple's App Store, The New York Times reports .

An Apple spokesperson said on November 21 that Skype had been removed from the App Store in China. The company made the decision after receiving a notice from China's Ministry of Public Security that a number of VoIP apps offered in the App Store did not comply with the country's laws.

A Microsoft spokesperson said Skype has been "temporarily removed" from the App Store in China. The company is working to get the messenger back on the app store as soon as possible, he said. The Microsoft spokesperson did not announce Skype's return to third-party Android app download services in China. Skype is also currently unavailable on the most popular ones, those operated by Huawei and Xiaomi.

Despite being removed from app stores, the messenger continues to operate in China, The New York Times notes.

The publication believes that blocking Skype is a new attempt by Chinese authorities to control the country's Internet space. In September, Facebook-owned messenger WhatsApp was temporarily blocked in China. Blocks were also imposed on Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram — all of these services use encryption, which makes it more difficult for Chinese authorities to track users' messages.

• In the summer of 2017, Apple began removing VPN apps from the Chinese version of the App Store. The company informed developers that their apps contained content that was illegal to distribute in China.
• China is considered to have some of the world's toughest laws restricting free speech online. In 2016, Reporters Without Borders ranked China 176th in its world press freedom rankings.