Police reportedly getting access to Skype

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WASHINGTON, July 26 (UPI) -- Skype, the online phone company now owned by Microsoft, is more willing to work with law enforcement to track its users, The Washington Post says.

The Post, citing industry and government officials, said online voice conversations are still safe because the technology to monitor them does not yet exist. But Skype has become more cooperative with requests for text exchanges and other information.

The service has been a favorite of people who wanted to stay off the radar, including political dissidents, drug traffickers and pedophiles. Islamist Web sites recommended Skype, and police have said they heard the targets of wiretaps saying they would switch to Skype.

One industry insider told the Post Microsoft has been dealing with the issue of law enforcement access with "tremendous sensitivity and a canny awareness of what the issues would be."