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Apple and Google removed apps Thursday, which were under pressure from Attorney General Pam Bondi, reminding people when immigration and customs law enforcement officers were nearby.
Critics of the tech giants that have succumbed to the Trump administration to the Silicon Valley in their second term.
Apple said the “security risk” of the app pulled up an app called IceBlock from its app store after the company was known. The anonymous, crowdsourcing app describes itself as “Waze, but eyewitnesses to icebergs” and claims to be an early warning system that notifies people when nearby Ice Agents.
The app launched in April and received hundreds of thousands of downloads, but the company didn't make it unavailable until Attorney General Pam Bondi asked the app to pull it from the app store.
“We approached Apple today to ask them to remove the IceBlock app from their app store, and Apple did that,” Bondy said in a statement to Fox News.
The Justice Department did not answer NPR's questions about its request.
Since the app has never used the Android version, it is not in Google's Play Store. Still, a company spokesperson told NPR that it also “deletes similar apps that violate our policies”, which is consistent with Apple's actions.
Joshua Aaron, the developer of Iceblock, said he made the app for the Trump administration to step up immigration enforcement. After launching from Apple's App Store, Aaron blamed the political pressure and vowed to fight it.
He believes the app's service engages in a protected speech, unlike some of Apple's own apps, such as the company's mapping app, which allows users to pack along the roads with accidents, hazards and police speed traps.
“Submission to a dictatorship is never the right move,” Aaron said in a statement.
Apple's actions reignited debate about jawboning when government officials censored speeches through intimidation and threats.
For years, the Conservatives accused the Biden administration of such a strategy for communications between tech companies related to the spread of common and election misunderstandings.
Jimmy Kimmel's brief pause after Jimmy Kimmel's comments on the Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, which is widely regarded as illegal by legal experts.
Kate Ruane, director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Free Expression Program, said Apple’s move should also be seen as a large number of handheld free expressions by the government.
“When companies agree to achieve other goals, whether it's to avoid tariffs or get merger approval, they send a message to others that they can do the same,” Roon said. “What's worse is that they weaken the commitment to the First Amendment to all of us at the same time.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook has made great strides as the government has put in place an aggressive tariff policy that could hurt Apple’s bottom line as much of its production takes place in China, India and elsewhere overseas.
Cook walked into the White House in August and gave Trump a 24-carat gold plaque, a move that symbolized Silicon Valley's respect for the president.
Trump also provided some gifts to Apple and other tech companies by exempting tariffs on smartphones, including Apple's iPhone.
“I think many large organizations are trying to keep their metaphorical attention and act with caution, even if the government acts inappropriate or unconstitutional manner,” said Gautam Hans, a law professor at Cornell University. “Compliance only inspires further demands from the government.”