ICE-tracking app tops App Store

ICEBlock, an app that lets users anonymously report sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, has soared up App Store charts after receiving criticism from Donald Trump’s administration. On Monday, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded to CNN’s coverage of ICEBlock in a post on X, calling it an “obstruction of justice.” Following this comment, ICEBlock grew in popularity overnight, bringing it to the top of the App Store on Tuesday before dropping to the third spot at the time of writing. According to its website, ICEBlock lets users report sightings of ICE officials with “two taps” and view reports that others have made within a five-mile radius. It also says the app stores no personal data, “making it impossible to trace reports back to individual users.” On Tuesday, Noem told reporters that she’s going to work with the Department of Justice to see if the Trump administration can “prosecute” CNN over its ICEBlock report: “What they’re doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities and operations.” ICE acting Director Todd Lyons also claimed CNN’s reporting is “willfully endangering the lives of officers.” A message within ICEBlock says “it is not to be used for the purposes of inciting violence or interfering with law enforcement,” according to CNN. ICEBlock launched in April in response to President Trump’s mass deportation efforts across the country. CNN says ICEBlock has over 20,000 users who are mostly located in Los Angeles, where many ICE raids are being carried out. The Trump administration’s threats have only seemed to increase interest in ICEBlock, which has since seen fakes make their way to the Google Play Store, where it’s currently not available because “there is no way to provide 100% anonymity” on Android, according to the app’s developer. Trump supporters and right-wing influencers have also started interacting with the app, with some of them claiming they are “flooding” ICEBlock with fake reports in an attempt to drown out real sightings. The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for comment about ICEBlock’s presence on the App Store but didn’t immediately hear back.