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China Surveillance on TOM-Skype VoIP/IM Client

If you are using the TOM-Skype client for VoIP and instant-messaging, you might want to watch what you type:

Breaching Trust -- Citizen Lab
http://www.citizenlab.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&...

Breaching Trust: An analysis of surveillance and security practices on China’s TOM-Skype -- Citizen Lab
http://www.infowar-monitor.net/breachingtrust/


Surveillance of Skype Messages Found in China -- NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/technology/internet/02skype.html?_r=2&...

Skype Acknowledges Chinese Spying -- PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331756,00.asp

According to the last link, the surveillance is limited to the TOM-Skype client and not the standard Skype client. If one of the party in the communication uses the TOM-Skype client however, the session is monitored (according to the report, second link):
"The TOM-Skype software from skype.tom.com contains a keyfile that appears to be an encrypted list of banned keywords as well as a filtering component created by TOM Online. When a TOM-Skype user sends or receives a text chat message that contains a keyword, the message is not displayed. However, when such a message is sent or received by a TOM-Skype user an HTTP connection is made to a TOM-Skype server and encrypted data is uploaded. These messages are stored in log files on the TOM-Skype servers."