- Google and Apple must respond to demand to remove apps like ICEBlock
- The application, not available for download, contributed to a shooting
- ICEBlock says the app is no different from Apple Maps
The U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee is pressuring Google and Apple to remove apps that allow users to track federal immigration agents.
The letters to CEOs Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook specifically target the “ICEBlock” app, an app previously used to monitor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and which is now “under threat.”[ng] the safety of DHS personnel.
As a result, Google and Apple have been asked to provide information by December 12 on how they handle banning such apps on their platforms.
DHS concerned about ICE agent tracking apps
The U.S. government is concerned that users can anonymously track ICE and CBP agents to warn communities of enforcement activities. Although it is no longer available, ICEBlock amassed over a million users before it caught on in the city.
“One of these apps, ICEBlock, was used by a gunman to track the movements of ICE agents before a deadly shooting in September at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas,” the letter states.
Apple removed the app from its App Store over concerns its content could harm individuals or groups, and Google says the app was never available on its Play Store. The two also removed other similar apps.
A post on ICEBlock’s website informing users that the app has been removed from the App Store states: “ICEBlock is no different from crowdsourced speed cameras, which all notable mapping apps, including Apple’s Maps app, implement as part of its core services. This is speech protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
“In recent years, ICE has been criticized for alleged civil rights violations and failure to follow constitutional principles and due process, making it crucial that communities stay informed about its operations,” the website and app developers continue.
Although the app is no longer available for download, as of December 8, 2025, it still works on devices where it is already installed.
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