Apple and Google blocked downloads of phone apps that flag sightings of US immigration agents, just hours after the Trump administration demanded that one particularly popular iPhone app be taken down.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said such tracking puts Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at risk. But users and developers of the apps say it’s their First Amendment right to capture what ICE is doing in their neighborhoods and maintain that most users turn to these platforms in an effort to protect their own safety as President Donald Trump steps up aggressive immigration enforcement across the country.
ICEBlock, the most widely used of the ICE-tracking apps in Apple’s app store, is among the apps that have been taken down. Bondi said her office reached out to Apple on Thursday demanding that they remove ICEBlock” and claiming that it is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs.
Apple soon complied, sending an email Thursday to the app’s creator, Joshua​Apple and Google blocked downloads of phone apps that flag sightings of US immigration agents, just hours after the Trump administration demanded that one particularly popular iPhone app be taken down.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said such tracking puts Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at risk. But users and developers of the apps say it’s their First Amendment right to capture what ICE is doing in their neighborhoods and maintain that most users turn to these platforms in an effort to protect their own safety as President Donald Trump steps up aggressive immigration enforcement across the country.
ICEBlock, the most widely used of the ICE-tracking apps in Apple’s app store, is among the apps that have been taken down. Bondi said her office reached out to Apple on Thursday demanding that they remove ICEBlock” and claiming that it is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs.
Apple soon complied, sending an email Thursday to the app’s creator, Joshua ​Latest News [ SOBAN NEWS: International and National ]
