Amidst Violent Immigration Raids, DHS Turns to Big Tech to Silence Dissent
On Thursday, Apple removed the mobile app ICEBlock and “similar apps” used by people in the United States to share information about nearby immigration enforcement operations from its App Store – reportedly following direct demands from the Trump administration.
ICEBlock allows people to crowdsource public information about immigration raids, described on its website as “Waze but for ICE sightings.” But according to an email sent from Apple to the app developer and provided to 404 Media, Apple decided that ICEBlock violates its policies against “Objectionable Content.” Apple told 404 Media in a statement that its determination was based on information “received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated” with the app.
In a statement to Fox News, which first reported the app’s removal, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed that ICEBlock “is designed to put ICE agents at risk.” In June, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters that she’d asked the Department of Justice to look into prosecuting CNN for reporting on ICEBlock on the basis that the app “is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities and operations.”
Despite the inconsistent justifications, the throughline is clear: the Trump administration has set its sights on anyone monitoring its expanding immigration enforcement operations, and it’s turning to major tech companies to help. In early September, DHS sent an administrative subpoena to Meta demanding information about several Instagram accounts, including StopICE.net – which similarly crowdsources information about immigration raids. A federal judge has temporarily blocked Meta from sharing that information.
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