Overview
- Filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco, the lawsuit follows unanswered or insufficient responses to EFF’s October FOIA requests.
- The complaint targets the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security for communications with Apple, Google and Meta about removing ICE-tracking tools.
- Apple pulled ICEBlock and later DeICER after citing law-enforcement information and App Store guideline 1.1.1 on content that could put targeted groups in harm’s way.
- Google removed Red Dot for violating its policy on apps sharing the location of a vulnerable group, and Meta took down the ICE Sightings–Chicagoland page.
- Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly said she pressed Apple to remove ICEBlock and pledged continued engagement with tech platforms, statements EFF cites in raising First Amendment concerns.