Police Warn Of Skype Threat

Police in Italy have warned that criminals are turning to Skype for calls, since its encryption is a secret the company hasn't shared with authorities.

Police in Milan have issued a warning that criminals of all kinds have been turning to Internet VoIP calls, rather than mobiles, to make arrangements by phone, with Skype heavily favored.

Why Skype? That’s because the calls are encrypted, and to date the company hasn’t shared the encryption key with authorities, leaving criminals safe, and police out in the cold.

Italian police have used wiretaps more and more in recent years, both on landlines and mobiles.

However, it’s not just Skype that’s likely to frustrate them. A new bill that’s been drawn up by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government would only allow wiretaps for the most serious crimes, the BBC reports.

Also, reporting details obtained through wiretaps couldn’t happen until a verdict was given, and with the slowness of the Italian judicial system, that could take up to 15 years, which has both journalists and judges up in arms.