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Apple Pulls ICE-Tracking Apps From App Store After DOJ Warning

Civil-liberties groups say the takedowns raise free-speech concerns.

Overview

  • Apple confirmed it removed ICEBlock and similar crowdsourced alert apps, citing law-enforcement information about security risks.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department contacted Apple to demand the ICEBlock takedown, according to media reports.
  • Officials linked the push to a recent fatal shooting at an ICE office in Dallas and said the suspect had used one of these apps days earlier.
  • The Justice Department said it is deploying agents to bolster security at federal immigration facilities, and President Trump directed counterterrorism task forces to investigate related domestic threats.
  • The apps had surged in use as deportation operations expanded, drawing criticism from authorities and objections from rights groups over platform removals driven by government pressure.