Canadian human-rights activists and computer protection researchers have uncovered a massive surveillance system in China that monitors Skype messages containing words deemed offensive to the Communist government.

Specifically, the technology is keeping track of messages TOM-Skype customers are sending. TOM-Skype is a joint venture within eBay (Skype’s owner) and a Chinese wireless company.

Citizen Lab, a research group at the University of Toronto, released an investigative report called “Breaching Trust: An analysis of surveillance and safety measure practices

on China’s TOM-Skype platform” that week to expose the issue.

Messages Scanned, Stored

Citizen Lab researchers report four key findings. For example, the text of chat messages of TOM-Skype users, along with Skype users who have communicated with TOM-Skype users, is scanned for sensitive keywords.

When those keywords — such as “Taiwan independence,” “the Falun Gong,” and “political opposition to the Communist Party of China” — are discovered in conversations, the […]

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