Skype says it's legal in China

BEIJING – A couple of days ago we wrote about the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announcing a crackdown on illegal VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service providers, which might affect access to Skype here.
 
But it turns out Skype doesn’t operate in China illegally. In 2004, it partnered with TOM Online to launch TOM-Skype. It now has nearly 90 million registered users.
 
And its joint venture partner, TOM Online, has pretty solid credentials. It’s a subsidiary of TOM Group Ltd, which is a media company listed in Hong Kong and controlled by Hong Kong Chinese billionaire Li Ka-shing.
 
A spokesperson for TOM Online told Reuters Skype is complying with Chinese laws and “business is as usual.” 
 
Meanwhile, industry analysts have been quick to note that the government announcement is motivated by old-fashioned economics, not censorship, and that Skype is not being targeted.
 
Oh, and by the way, if Skype service in China were to be interrupted, there’s a whole new demographic that might be up in arms: psychotherapy patients. This week’s New Yorker has a fascinating report (subscription required) about how a new generation of Chinese is embracing Freud and psychotherapy…by Skype.