News - Apple removes ICEBlock and similar tracking apps from the App Store

Apple has removed ICEBlock and other apps from its App Store that allow users to anonymously report sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, following pressure from the Trump administration. The app, which went viral earlier this year, allowed users to share information about where they’ve seen ICE agents within a 5-mile radius of their location, and to share details of the clothing the agents were wearing. According to various media outlets, Apple said it removed the apps after being contacted by "law enforcement" about "safety risks" associated with ICEBlock and similar apps. Fox Business first reported the removal on Thursday, quoting U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as saying that Justice Department officials contacted Apple to remove apps like ICEBlock at her direction. It’s worth noting that ICEBlock does not collect or store any user data, something TechCrunch confirmed by analyzing the app’s network traffic as part of a test. The takedown comes amid mounting tensions between the Trump administration and those who oppose the government’s hardline immigration agenda, especially after a shooting at an ICE detention center in Dallas last week left two detainees dead and one hospitalized. CNBC cited an FBI official claiming that the gunman had searched apps tracking the presence of ICE agents. The U.S. government argues that apps like ICEBlock endanger federal workers by revealing their locations and likenesses. Officials have repeatedly threatened legal action against those using ICEBlock, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in July said officials were trying to see if CNN could be prosecuted for reporting about the app. U.S. Attorney General Bondi in July also warned ICEBlock’s developer, Joshua Aaron, that the Justice Department was "looking at him." Apple and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ICEBlock’s developers could not be reached for comment.