Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), despite a couple of statements made regarding its alleged involvement in the National Security Agency (NSA) PRISM online surveillance program, apparently still has some ‘splaining to do. While the company is being questioned repeatedly about what it knew and how much it knew in advance of the NSA snooping expedition – and whether Microsoft did in fact allow the NSA to gather data, rather than it being “invaded” through a back door as the company has claimed – there is another question on the tips of tongues. Not only is Microsoft one of the companies implicated in PRISM, but also Skype – a Microsoft subsidiary since 2011.
Skype was one of the nine tech companies claimed to have been part of the NSA operation, though Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is getting a lot of inquiries because the NSA listed Microsoft as a “first partner” in the PRISM project. While some are trying to probe into what that meant – was Microsoft 
Skype had a system where Skype-to-Skype calls and chats never went through central servers, so the conversations were truly private between the two parties – with no central servers for the conversations to go through, there was virtually no way that Skype calls could be tapped or intercepted.
However, after Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) bought Skype a couple years ago, there were discussions around the tech community that Microsoft had transformed Skype to where it would be compliant with law-enforcement requests or demands for information. While no one seems to know for sure, Skype has stonewalled in the past when asked to provide information about its wiretapping capabilities and risks.
What is fueling more speculation about Skype and Microsoft in their involvement with the NSA was a leaked PowerPoint slide that referred to a guide for how to collect data from a Skype call, if that call is made from a phone line to any means of communication on the other end, provided the Skype users are connected by computer alone.
In other words, the NSA seems to have found a way to actually Skype-tap certain conversations. What might this mean for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), if this information were true?
This could mean some more trouble for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), as it claimed in a 2012 transparency report – which showed the number of National Security Letters (NSLs) sent to the company and the reason for the data request – that it had not handed over any Skype communications in the entire 2012 year.
However, the NSA made the claim in the PowerPoint that it knew how to gather Skype communications and data. Now, we understand that due to FISA rules, companies are under a gag order not to disclose any data-collection requests sent under FISA rules specifically, but it seems the Microsoft is saying that the NSA could not or did not get any communications off of Skype, rather than at least saying in vague legal terms that it did receive requests for information but did something about them rather than playing as if Skype communications were untouchable and thus making us believe that under no circumstances did Microsoft hand over any communications from Skype.
What do you think? Is there something fishy here involving Skype and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)? Let us know in the comments section below.
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