- Google and Apple must respond to requests to remove apps like ICEBlock
- The app not available to download new helped a shooting incident
- ICEBlock says the app is no different from Apple Maps
The US House Committee on Homeland Security is pushing 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 and one that is now “jeopardizi[ng] DHS personnel safety.”
As a result, both Google and Apple have been asked to provide briefings by December 12 on how they handle preventing such apps from their platforms.
DHS is concerned about ICE agent tracking apps
The US government is concerned that users can anonymously track ICE and CBP agents to alert communities to enforcement activity. Although ICEBlock is no longer available, over a million users gathered before they were taken to town.
“One of these apps, ICEBlock, was used by a gunman to track the movements of ICE agents prior to a fatal shooting in September at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas,” the letter states.
Apple removed the app from its App Store due to concerns that its content could harm individuals or groups, and Google claims the app was never available on its Play Store. Both have also removed other similar apps.
A post on the ICEBlock website notifying users that the app was removed from the App Store reads: “ICEBlock is no different from the crowd sourcing speed traps that all notable mapping applications, including Apple’s own Maps app, implement as part of its core services. This is protected speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.”
“In recent years, ICE has faced criticism for alleged civil rights violations and failure to adhere to constitutional principles and due process, making it critical for communities to 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 will still work on devices that already have it installed.
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