Is it possible to listen in on a skype call

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Skype Status Check if there are any issues currently affecting Skype. Facebook Twitter YouTube Blogs. Was this article helpful? Yes No. How can we improve it? Send No thanks. Thanks for your feedback. Skip to content. Sign in My Account Subscribe. The Atlantic Crossword. The Print Edition. Latest Issue Past Issues. Only through November Try subscriber newsletters for free. Morsa Images via Getty Link Copied. Microsoft's Privacy Policy does not make this clear either.

Pat Walshe, an activist from Privacy Matters, said in an online chat "The marketing blurb for [Skype Translator] refers to the use of AI not humans listening in.

This whole area needs a regulatory review. A Microsoft spokesperson told Motherboard in an emailed statement, "Microsoft collects voice data to provide and improve voice-enabled services like search, voice commands, dictation or translation services.

We strive to be transparent about our collection and use of voice data to ensure customers can make informed choices about when and how their voice data is used. We continue to review the way we handle voice data to ensure we make options as clear as possible to customers and provide strong privacy protections," the statement added.

Microsoft said both its Skype Translator FAQ and documentation on Cortana are clear in that the company uses voice data to improve their services. Again, they do not say a human may listen to that voice data, however. When a contractor is presented by Microsoft with a piece of audio to transcribe, they are also given a series of approximate translations generated by Skype's translation system, according to the screenshots and other documents.

The contractor then needs to select the most accurate translation or provide their own, and the audio is treated as confidential Microsoft information, the screenshots show. I've heard people entering full addresses in Cortana commands, or asking Cortana to provide search returns on pornography queries.

While I don't know exactly what one could do with this information, it seems odd to me that it isn't being handled in a more controlled environment," the contractor said.