US committee demands that mobile apps used against immigration agents be pulled
A US House Homeland Security Committee is urging tech giants Google and Apple to take action against mobile apps designed to track immigration officers. In letters to the CEOs of both companies, officials cite the app ICEBlock, which was previously used to track agents of US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). They are concerned that these applications could endanger the safety of Department of Homeland Security personnel.
The committee has requested a detailed explanation of the steps Google and Apple have taken to remove these apps. The goal is to ensure they cannot be used to attack agents or obstruct immigration enforcement. While acknowledging the importance of free speech, the lawmakers referred to a Supreme Court ruling stating that it does not protect advocacy that leads to imminent illegal activity.
In October, Google said that ICEBlock had never been available in the Play Store and confirmed that similar apps had been removed for policy violations. Apple likewise removed ICEBlock and other tracking apps from the App Store because they breached rules on harmful content. The removals followed a surge in downloads of ICEBlock, which had more than one million users before it was taken down.
The concerns about these applications stem from their ability to let users anonymously share information about the locations of federal agents, including immigration and border officials. Pam Bondi, the attorney general of Florida, has previously voiced concern that these applications put ICE agents at risk while carrying out their duties.
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