The technology giant Apple has confirmed the removal of ICEBlock, a crowdsourcing app that collects sightings of US immigration officers, and similar software from its App Store, following pressure from the administration of United States President Donald Trump.
As of Friday, ICEBlock was no longer available on the App Store, where users can download software.
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“We just received a message from Apple’s App Review that #ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store due to ‘objectionable content’,” the app’s social media team said in a post on the platform BlueSky. “The only thing we can imagine is this is due to pressure from the Trump Admin. We have responded and we’ll fight this!”
The move marks a rare instance of an app being taken down due to demands from the US government, raising concerns about pressure on private companies and limits to free speech.
ICEBlock is a free iPhone-only app that allows users to anonymously report and track Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.
It was developed in April in response to President Trump’s hardline immigration agenda and the recent increase in ICE arrests.
ICE has been a central part of Trump’s push for mass deportation since he took office for a second term. Its agents have regularly raided workplaces, homes and courthouses to arrest migrants, and rights advocates say free speech and due process are often being infringed upon in the government’s deportation drive.
Apple’s decision to remove the ICEBlock app from its platform has also shed light on the growing ties between major tech firms and the Trump administration. Many companies, including the iPhone maker, have sought to avoid clashes with a White House that has not been shy about issuing threats — particularly around tariffs — against specific firms.
“Based on information we’ve received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store,” Apple said in an emailed statement.
Fox Business first reported the app’s removal on Thursday, citing a statement from US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the Department of Justice contacted Apple and that the company complied with its request to pull the app.
“ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed,” Bondi told Fox Business.
Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based creator of ICEBlock, disputed that characterisation and criticised Apple’s decision.
“I am incredibly disappointed by Apple’s actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move,” Aaron told the Reuters news agency.
David Greene, the civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital rights group, said the move underscored a pattern of government overreach.
“It is not surprising — they have been threatening this for a while and we do expect to see more of this and other blatantly unconstitutional actions going forward,” Greene told Al Jazeera.
The Trump administration has shown “little to no regard” for the rule of law, Greene explained, pointing out that the app’s activities are protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution, which enshrines the right to free speech.
He also argued that the public should know how its government is operating, particularly when it comes to sensitive issues like immigration. But, Greene added, the Trump administration has “never sincerely cared about the free flow of information”.
“Publishing truthful information about matters of public interest is worthy of the highest level of First Amendment protection, and the operations of government, and the identities of who the operators are, is certainly a matter of high public interest,” Greene said.
‘Watch out’
Bondi, however, has previously argued that Aaron is “not protected” under the Constitution and that they are looking at prosecuting him, warning him to “watch out”.
Civilian surveillance of federal immigration agents has become more assertive in recent months, as activists try to protect their communities from aggressive enforcement by ICE agents.
Since Trump returned to office, ICE has ramped up its enforcement efforts, and a bill passed in July has assured the agency of $75bn in new funding through 2029.
The agency has also arrested visa holders and permanent US residents targeted by the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian advocacy.
In one high-profile case, Mahmoud Khalil, a US resident of Palestinian origin, was arrested after serving as a spokesperson for the antiwar protests at Columbia University, a move that rights groups condemned as intimidation.
While Khalil was released from detention in June, he continues to face deportation proceedings. In September, an immigration judge in Louisiana ordered his deportation, though Khalil has 30 days to appeal.
Legal experts have said that civilian surveillance of ICE is largely protected under the US Constitution, as long as observers do not try to obstruct law enforcement activities.
Apple removed more than 1,700 apps from its App Store in 2024 in response to government demands, but the vast majority of those requests — more than 1,300 — came from China.
Russia filed the second-highest number of demands, at 171, followed by South Korea with 79.
Over the last three years, the US was typically not among the countries where apps were removed due to government demands, according to company transparency reports.
A majority of Apple’s iPhones are manufactured in China, making the company particularly sensitive to tariff policies.
In recent months, the White House has floated potential taxes on the import of chips used in Apple devices like iPhones and Mac computers.
Apple removes thousands of apps from its app store every year, including more than 82,500 in 2024, for other reasons, including design-related issues, fraud or intellectual property infringement. Apple shares were down fractionally on Friday.
