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Apple isn’t the only one cracking down on apps that alert people to the presence of nearby Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Google is doing the same.
As 404 Media reports, Google removed Red Dot, which crowdsources alerts about real-time ICE activity, from its Play Store.
Apple has been grabbing headlines for removing a similar app called ICEBlock from the iOS App Store. However, Cupertino quietly removed Red Dot from its store, too.
(Credit: Red Dot)
US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that the Justice Department asked Apple to remove the app. Trump officials previously described ICEBlock as a threat to immigration officers. However, Google claims it removed Red Dot and other similar apps independently, without any request from the Justice Department.
According to Google, Red Dot was removed because it violates a policy prohibiting apps that pose a “high risk of abuse.” The company also indicated the app lacked robust content moderation to block objectionable user-generation content.
Meanwhile, 404 Media reports that Google also decided to remove apps such as Red Dot because they can share the location of a “vulnerable group.” This comes after last month’s shooting outside an ICE facility in Dallas.
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Nevertheless, the crackdown on ICE alert apps is sparking criticism that Apple and Google are bowing to pressure from the Trump administration and policing content. “Why Are The ‘Free Speech Warriors’ Suddenly So Quiet?” Techdirt CEO Mike Masnick wrote in a column.
Red Dot didn’t respond to a request for comment. The developer of ICEBlock, which was only available on iOS, accused Apple of “Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move.” Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Trump ally and right-wing political activist Lara Loomer has been urging Apple and Google to take a step further and shut down the ICE alert apps from operating on phones that’ve already downloaded them. “App technology should allow ICE agents and DHSGov to hunt illegals, not allow their left-wing collaborators to hunt ICE,” she tweeted.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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