Apple removes apps that allow anonymous reporting of ICE agent sightings

Apple has taken down an app that uses crowdsourcing to emblem sightings of U.S. migration agents aft coming nether unit from the Trump administration.

ICEBlock, a escaped iPhone-only app that lets users anonymously study and show enactment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, was nary longer disposable connected Apple's App Store arsenic of Friday. The developer had confirmed its removal connected Thursday evening.

"We conscionable received a connection from Apple's App Review that #ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store owed to "objectionable content'," ICEBlock said successful a societal media post. "The lone happening we tin ideate is this is owed to unit from the Trump Admin. We person responded and we'll combat this!"

The developer said past period that it had much than 1 cardinal users. Even though it has been removed from the app marketplace, those who person already downloaded the app should inactive beryllium capable to usage it.

The Associated Press reached retired to ICEBlock for further comments connected Friday.

Apple said it removed apps similar ICEBlock owed to the imaginable for risks that were raised by instrumentality enforcement.

"We created the App Store to beryllium a harmless and trusted spot to observe apps," the institution said successful a statement. "Based connected accusation we've received from instrumentality enforcement astir the information risks associated with ICEBlock, we person removed it and akin apps from the App Store."

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi confirmed that her bureau had reached retired to Apple connected Thursday "demanding that they region ICEBlock from their App Store." In a connection sent to The Associated Press, she claimed that ICEBlock was "designed to enactment ICE agents astatine hazard conscionable for doing their jobs."

Officials said past period that a gunman who opened occurrence connected an ICE installation successful Dallas had searched for apps that tracked the beingness of ICE agents.

Bondi has antecedently said that crowdsourced apps that let radical to pass astir the determination of instrumentality enforcement officers is not allowed - specifically referring to ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron successful a July interrogation connected Fox News.

"We are looking astatine him and helium amended ticker retired due to the fact that that's not a protected speech," Bondi said astatine the time.

But advocates accidental that tracking ICE enactment is simply a signifier of escaped code protected by the First amendment. They support that specified platforms are chiefly utilized among individuals looking to support themselves from astonishment raids oregon imaginable harassment from migration officials.

Downloads of apps similar ICEblock person surged arsenic the Trump medication steps up migration enforcement.

ICEBlock and different crowdsourcing apps similar it are being targeted, but crowdsourced exertion has go communal successful the app store, and is inactive disposable done different apps.

Navigation apps similar Waze oregon Google Maps for Android phones person been successful usage for years. Part of their gully is that users are alerted to constabulary velocity traps by different drivers. Users of those apps person suggested they tin beryllium utilized to station updates astir "icy conditions."

Waze and Google Maps person not been targeted by U.S. officials.