Chinese Internet users are very disappointed with Skype’s decision to temporarily shut down its public Skypecast service in China, starting September 1. Many have considered it to be a behind-the-scenes agreement between Skype and the Chinese regime to suppress freedom of speech. Many also found it difficult to agree with Skype’s explanation of the situation.
A Chinese blogger surnamed Mao said that even though the Chinese government lifted the ban on some overseas websites before the Beijing Olympics, it had actually intensified the internet blockade by blocking access to many other websites as well as QQ—a popular Chinese online chatting service.
“The government put up an act saying they will let people gain access to some websites. The reason why Skype was not shut down earlier was because it did not have such a great impact. However, this is still an open window. The government fears that the window will grow bigger and bigger.”
Mao commented, “The government probably has a secret deal with Skype to shut down public chat rooms. Skype claimed that they shut it down in order to provide better services later. However, usually that’s not what software providers do. Usually, when a software provider creates a new version, they will only replace the old version with the new version when the new one is good and ready.”
Other Chinese bloggers also found it hard to understand why Skype failed to post its announcement on a prominent spot on its homepage for such a major decision
An Internet user posted, “Many Chinese people are against this. Those of us who have read the announcement felt that Skype’s reasoning does not make any sense at all.”
It was reported that the Tom Group, a media flagship of Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, has teamed up with Skype to enter China’s market, and that when Chinese users use Skype, they are redirected to a censored version of Skype running under its Chinese partner’s site, http://skype.tom.com.
Click here to read the original article in Chinese: http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/9/3/n2250801.htm
