Skype Has Been Blocked in The UAE
Skype, the popular software that allows users to make voice and video calls between computers, mobile phones and tablet devices via internet, has been blocked in the UAE.
Citizens and expats, who had been using this free telecommunications app to stay in touch with family and friends overseas, discovered without warning that they could not use the Skype app and felt angry about that.
Complaints quickly flooded social media until telecom providers Etisalat and Du confirmed it had been blocked.
“The access to the Skype app is blocked since it is providing unlicensed Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Service, which falls under the classification of prohibited contents as per the United Arab Emirates’ Regulatory Framework,” Etisalat said.
On Skype website, it states:
“It has been brought to our attention that our website and services have been blocked by the ISPs in the United Arab Emirates. That means you won’t be able to use Skype in the United Arab Emirates.
Unfortunately, there is very little Skype can do about this situation. The best course of action would be for you to speak to your ISP and ask why they are blocking Skype and request that they unblock our site and services.”
Despite the blackout, more than 5,000 people around the world have signed the petition and the numbers are still rising.
Other chat apps like Discord, Whatsapp and Facetime are also blocked in the Middle Eastern nation.
Any Alternative?
Now that Skype is banned, using VPNs to call home has become a necessity. Accessing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) by an individual in the UAE is legal; depending on some terms and conditions. A VPN network is like a secret tunnel that can be accessed by logging on through a US or UK server instead of the UAE server to open restricted sites, and at the same time protect user privacy. All the incoming and outgoing data that pass through this tunnel can’t be spied into or stolen. Get ExpressVPN to unblock Skype in UAE now!