Apple has taken down an app that uses crowdsourcing to flag sightings of US immigration agents, apparently after being pressured by US authorities. ICEBlock, a free iPhone-only app that lets users anonymously report and monitor activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, was no longer available on Apple's App Store as of Friday, the AP reports. "We just received a message from Apple's App Review that #ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store due to 'objectionable content,'" developer Joshua Aaron said in a social media post. "The only thing we can imagine is this is due to pressure from the Trump Admin. We have responded and we'll fight this!"
- The developer said last month that it had more than 1 million users. Even though it has been removed from the app marketplace, those who have already downloaded the app should still be able to use it.
- "We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps," Apple said in a statement. "Based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store."
- Downloads of apps like ICEblock have surged as the Trump administration steps up immigration enforcement with surprise raids. The technology has come under fire from authorities after agents were targeted. Officials said last month that the gunman who opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas had searched for apps that tracked the presence of agents.
"I am incredibly disappointed by Apple's actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move," Aaron tells 404 Media. "ICEBlock is no different from crowd sourcing speed traps, which every notable mapping application, including Apple's own Maps app, implements as part of its core services. This is protected speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."
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