Skype on phone/androind asking permission access your phone refusing WiFi call?

Is Skype on phone/androind asking permission access your phone for spying on you? (i.e. skype does not need to access phone as it should be only optional as it used to work, but since recently MS has decided to not allow skype call over WiFi or cellular data if you do not allow them to spy on you!! Skype before, and other apps like Viber do not do this and I see this as MS draconianism and greed.)