- Google and Apple must respond to request to remove apps like ICEBlock
- The app, not available to download new, aided a shooting incident
- ICEBlock says the app is no different to Apple Maps
The US House Committee on Homeland Security is pressuring Google and Apple to remove apps that let users track federal immigration officers.
Letters addressed to CEOs Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook specifically target the app ‘ICEBlock’, an app previously used to monitor US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and one that’s now “jeopardizi[ng] the safety of DHS personnel.”
As a result, both Google and Apple have been asked to provide briefings by December 12 on how they are handling preventing such apps from their platforms.
DHS has concerns over ICE agent tracking apps
The US government is worried that users can anonymously track ICE and CBP agents to warn communities of enforcement activity. Though no longer available, ICEBlock amassed over one million users before being taken town.
“One of these apps, ICEBlock, was used by a gunman to track the movement of ICE agents prior to a deadly shooting in September at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas,” the letter reads.
Apple removed the app from its App Store over concerns that its content could harm individuals or groups, and Google asserts the app was never available on its Play Store. Both have also removed other similar apps.
A post on the ICEBlock website notifying users the app was removed from the App Store reads: “ICEBlock is no different from crowd sourcing speed traps, which every notable mapping application, including Apple’s own Maps app, implements as part of its core services. This is protected speech under the first amendment of the United States Constitution.”
“In recent years, ICE has faced criticism for alleged civil rights abuses and failures to adhere to constitutional principles and due process, making it crucial for communities to stay informed about its operations,” the website and app developers continue.
Although the app is no longer available to download, as of December 8 2025, it still functions on devices that already have it installed.
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