One of the last foreign-run tools for online communication in China appears to be in trouble with the authorities here.

For almost a month, Skype, the internet phone call and messaging service, has been unavailable on a number of sites where apps are downloaded in China, including Apple’s app store in the country.

“We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law. Therefore these apps have been removed from the app store in China,” an Apple spokeswoman said Tuesday in an emailed statement responding to questions about Skype’s disappearance from the app store. “These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business.”

New York Times

Facebook, YouTube, and Google are blocked but Skype is a huge tool for people traveling internationally this bad for Skype and travelers.