Luxembourg’s data protection commissioner is investigating Skype over concerns about its secret involvement with the US National Security Agency (NSA) spy program Prism, the Guardian has learned.__The Microsoft-owned internet chat company could potentially face criminal and administrative sanctions, including a ban on passing users’ communications covertly to the US signals intelligence agency._ Skype itself is headquartered in the European country, and could be fined if an investigation concludes that the data sharing is found in violation of the country’s data-protection laws._ Luxembourg’s data-protection commissioner initiated a probe into Skype’s privacy policies following revelations in June about its ties to the NSA. Luxembourg has attracted several large corporations, including Amazon and Netflix, due to its tax structure._ Its constitution enshrines the right to privacy and states that secrecy of correspondence is inviolable unless the law provides otherwise._ Surveillance of communications in Luxembourg can only occur with judicial approval or by authorization of a tribunal selected by the prime minister._ However, it is unclear whether Skype’s transfer of communications to the NSA...

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