Apple takes down app that allows people to track and anonymously report sightings of ICE agents

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Apple has taken down an app that uses crowdsourcing to flag sightings of U.S. immigration agents, apparently after being pressured by U.S. authorities.

ICEBlock, a free iPhone-only app lets users anonymously report and monitor activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, was no longer available on Apple's App Store as of Friday.

“We just received a message from Apple’s App Review that #ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store due to “objectionable content',” the developer said in a social media post. “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 developer said last month that it had more than 1 million users. Even though it has been removed from the app marketplace, those who have already downloaded the app should still be able to use it.

Apple said it removed apps like ICEBlock due to the potential for risks that were raised by law enforcement.

“We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps," the company said in a statement. “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.”

Downloads of apps like ICEblock have surged as the Trump administration steps up immigration enforcement with surprise raids. The technology has come under fire from authorities after agents were targeted.

In a July interview on Fox News, U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi said crowdsourced apps that allow people to communicate about the location of law enforcement officers is not allowed, specifically referring to ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron.

“We are looking at him and he better watch out because that’s not a protected speech,” Bondi said at the time.

ICEBlock is just one of the tools activists have been using to stay ahead of immigration agents. Some have used mainstream navigational apps such as Waze or Google Maps for Android phones that allow users to report the presence of law enforcement. While these apps provide navigation and alert drivers of potential locations of speed traps, activists have reportedly suggested they can be used to post updates about “icy conditions.”

Waze and Google Maps have not been targeted by U.S. officials.

Officials said last month that a gunman who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas had searched for apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents.