China orders the withdrawal of Skype from Apple Store and other app platforms

The popular application for Skype communications and other similar ones to make phone calls using the internet are no longer available in China's Apple Store and other application platforms or "apps", by order of the authorities, confirmed today to Efe the office of the American giant in this country.

Beijing, Nov 22 (EFE) .- The popular application for Skype communications and other similar ones to make phone calls using the internet are no longer available in China's Apple Store and other application platforms or "apps", by order of the authorities, confirmed today to Efe the office of the American giant in this country.

"The Ministry of Public Security has Noted that several VoIP applications (voice over internet protocol) do not comply with local law, so they have been removed from the Chinese Apple Store, "said a statement from the firm sent to Efe.

Apple China said that such VoIP applications (of which Skype is one of the most popular) "are still available in other markets," and noted that many of these Programs do not use user registration according to their official identity document, as required by the Government of China.

Other mobile device application stores smart, like those of the Chinese Xiaomi or Huawei, have also stopped offering Skype and other programs to call via internet.

The measure is another blow of the Administration China of Cyberspace to the operation of foreign firms in the Asian Internet network, where websites such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

Internet users in China (more than 700 million) fear that the censorship campaign of the Chinese authorities in the network will soon affect also the VPN programs, used to access within China content censored in the country and that are in total need for groups such as journalists or businessmen.