Apple pulls US immigration official tracking apps
18 hours ago
- #Immigration
- #Free Speech
- #Apple
- Apple removed apps like ICEBlock and ICE Immigration Alerts from its App Store and Google Play due to safety concerns raised by law enforcement.
- US Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized ICEBlock, claiming it endangered ICE agents, while the app's creator defended it as protected speech under the First Amendment.
- The apps were developed in response to increased ICE raids under President Trump's immigration policies, with ICEBlock downloaded over a million times in the US.
- Law enforcement linked similar apps to a deadly attack on an ICE facility in Dallas, where the perpetrator tracked agents using such tools.
- Google and Apple cited policy violations and safety risks for removing the apps, but developers argue the decisions undermine free speech and lack transparency.