Apple pulled the ICEBlock app from its App Store on Thursday after the Justice Department (DOJ) flagged concerns that the platform could endanger federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers amid a rise in violent attacks.
ICEBlock, a crowdsourced app that allowed users to anonymously report ICE activity, had grown to over 1 million downloads, prompting officials to warn it could put agents at risk.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the DOJ requested the removal earlier in the day.
“We reached out to Apple today demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store — and Apple did so,” Bondi told Fox News.
She described the app as “designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs,” adding, “Violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed. This Department of Justice will continue making every effort to protect our brave federal law enforcement officers, who risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe.”
The removal follows the Sept. 24 shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, where the suspect allegedly researched the app prior to the attack.
The gunman reportedly intended to target ICE agents and killed two detainees during the incident.
The tragedy highlighted federal concerns over apps that could expose officers to potential threats.
Apple released a statement explaining its decision.
“We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps,” the company said in a statement, per CBS News.
“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.”
Other apps that posed comparable risks were also removed.
Joshua Aaron, the creator of ICEBlock, rejected claims that the app endangered officers.
“Allegations that it was designed to target ICE officers are patently false,” Aaron told Fox News. “We are determined to fight this with everything we have.”
“Our mission has always been to protect our neighbors from the terror this administration continues to reign down on the people of this nation.”
ICEBlock functioned similarly to navigation apps like Waze, letting users report ICE activity within a five-mile radius anonymously, with no personal data stored to ensure privacy.
CBS noted the app had been downloaded over 90,000 times in the past month alone and had a total user base exceeding 1.1 million.
Officials warned that the app could interfere with law enforcement efforts.
Deputy Director Madison Sheahan told CBS in July, “There’s always a form of free speech and a lot of things in technology, but where it crosses a line is when it becomes dangerous, not only to ICE officers, but to the ability to enforce the law effectively.”
ICEBlock is part of a growing category of tools that track and alert users to ICE activity. While Apple removed ICEBlock and other similar apps, some, like Coqui, remain accessible on the App Store.
The DOJ’s request and Apple’s compliance highlight the federal government’s priority on safeguarding ICE personnel amid rising threats.
Officials emphasize that taking these apps offline is a necessary step to protect law enforcement while balancing public safety and lawful oversight.
WATCH:
