As Skype shuts down, its legacy is end-to-end encryption for the masses

The piece traces Skype’s role in popularizing end-to-end encryption starting in 2003 and the ensuing global efforts to bypass it—citing an Egyptian SSI memo on FinFisher, Italy’s use of Hacking Team spyware, China’s Tom-Skype modifications, and NSA access revealed by Snowden—while concluding with Microsoft’s plan to shut down Skype and noting the platform’s enduring influence on today’s encrypted messaging ecosystem.