ICE-tracking app tops App Store

ICEBlock is presently the fig 3 app connected the App Store.

ICEBlock, an app that lets users anonymously study sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, has soared up App Store charts aft receiving disapproval from the Trump administration. On Monday, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded to CNN’s coverage of ICEBlock in a station connected X, calling it an “obstruction of justice.”

Following this comment, ICEBlock grew successful popularity overnight, bringing it to the top of the App Store connected Tuesday earlier dropping to the 3rd spot astatine the clip of writing. According to its website, ICEBlock lets users study sightings of ICE officials with “two taps” and presumption reports that others person made wrong a five-mile radius.” It besides says the app stores nary idiosyncratic data, “making it intolerable to hint reports backmost to idiosyncratic users.”

On Tuesday, Noem told reporters that she’s going to enactment with the Department of Justice to spot if the Trump medication tin “prosecute” CNN implicit its ICEBlock report: “What they’re doing is actively encouraging radical to debar instrumentality enforcement activities and operations.” ICE acting Director Todd Lyons besides claimed CNN’s reporting is “willfully endangering the lives of officers.” 

A connection wrong ICEBlock says “it is not to beryllium utilized for the purposes of inciting unit oregon interfering with instrumentality enforcement,” according to CNN. ICEBlock launched successful April successful effect to President Trump’s wide deportation efforts crossed the country. CNN says ICEBlock has implicit 20,000 users who are mostly located successful Los Angeles, where galore ICE raids are being carried out.

The Trump administration’s threats person lone seemed to summation involvement successful ICEBlock, which has since seen fakes marque their way to the Google Play Store, wherever it’s presently not disposable due to the fact that “there is nary mode to supply 100% anonymity” connected Android, according to the app’s developer. Trump supporters and right-wing influencers person besides started interacting with the app, with some of them claiming they are “flooding” ICEBlock with fake reports successful an effort to drown retired existent sightings.

The Verge reached retired to Apple with a petition for remark astir ICEBlock’s beingness connected the App Store but didn’t instantly perceive back.