Overview
- Joshua Aaron filed a federal lawsuit Monday alleging Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials violated the First Amendment by pressuring Apple to pull his ICEBlock app.
- The complaint names Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, and White House border adviser Tom Homan, and seeks to block further coercion of platforms and any investigation or prosecution of Aaron.
- Apple removed ICEBlock in October after contact from the Justice Department, citing law enforcement information about safety risks; the app had surpassed 1 million users and remains functional only for existing installs.
- Aaron argues the app is protected speech and notes it bars photos or videos and auto-deletes reports after four hours, while officials contend it endangers ICE officers and obstructs enforcement.
- Parallel scrutiny includes a pending EFF FOIA suit to uncover government–platform communications and House Homeland Security leaders’ demand for briefings from Apple and Google by December 12.