‘Nothing Illegal’: Creator of ICE Tracking App Plans Legal Action After Apple Removal

Bowing to federal stress, Google and Apple yanked two common apps, ICEBlock and Crimson Dot, that allow customers crowdsource reviews of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement exercise, citing officer security after a lethal sniper assault at an ICE area workplace in Texas.

On Thursday, Google and Apple each eliminated the Crimson Dot app. Apple additionally pulled the iOS-specific ICEBlock app after the U.S. Division of Justice below Legal professional Common Pam Bondi formally demanded its elimination. Bondi mentioned in a press release to Fox Information that the app “is designed to place ICE brokers in danger only for doing their jobs,” and vowed to guard federal law-enforcement officers.

Joshua Aaron, creator of ICEBlock, mentioned Apple’s elimination blindsided him.

“The app was totally vetted for 3 weeks by Apple’s authorized and senior officers earlier than approval,” he informed Decrypt. “It’s been high-quality all this time. For them to do it now, that’s why I say I’m so disillusioned.”

Aaron, a software program developer and the lead singer of the rock band Stealing Heather, launched ICEBlock in April. In July, as ICE operations ramped up throughout america, ICEBlock went viral after being known as out by Bondi, who known as it a software for “signaling to criminals the place our federal officers are.”

Aaron mentioned Apple has not reached out to him or given him an opportunity to attraction the choice.

“Apple has not known as me, regardless that we had been primary within the App Retailer for weeks and had 1.14 million customers that counted on this each single minute of their day,” he mentioned. “They only gave me a letter that mentioned we obtained data from regulation enforcement that your app is focusing on or harming regulation enforcement officers.”



Aaron in contrast ICEBlock to mainstream navigation instruments like Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze.

“To someway say that ICEBlock is doing something completely different than that’s ridiculous,” he mentioned.

Federal stress intensifies

Apple’s elimination got here after Bondi’s DOJ formally requested for the app to be pulled, citing officer security.

“We created the App Retailer to be a secure and trusted place to find apps. Based mostly on data we’ve obtained from regulation enforcement concerning the security dangers related to ICEBlock, we’ve got eliminated it and related apps from the App Retailer,” Apple informed Fox Information.

Google echoed that sentiment with its elimination of Crimson Dot, going as far as to counsel to 404 Media that ICE brokers are a “weak group.”

“ICEBlock was by no means out there on Google Play, however we eliminated related apps for violations of our insurance policies,” a Google spokesperson informed Decrypt. The spokesperson, who mentioned that the federal authorities didn’t attain out to the search large, mentioned the Crimson Dot app was eliminated as a result of “excessive threat of abuse” and guidelines round user-generated content material.

On September 24, a sniper assault at an ICE facility in Dallas killed one detainee and injured two others. Authorities mentioned the suspect was aiming for ICE officers and had searched his cellphone for monitoring apps, together with ICEBlock, earlier than opening fireplace.

Aaron known as the takedown a “First Modification violation,” and mentioned he plans to battle it in court docket and within the media.

“This isn’t some app taken down from the App Retailer; it is a tech firm eradicating one thing that’s clearly a First Modification-protected app,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing unlawful about growing it. There’s nothing unlawful about utilizing it. They’re now deciding what you possibly can and can’t use on a tool that you simply personal.”

He additionally rejected Google’s description of ICE brokers as a “weak group.”

“They gave $170 billion to create their very own paramilitary power on this nation,” he mentioned. “To say they’re in peril is laughable at finest.”

Apple didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark by Decrypt.