A lawsuit was filed on Monday against leading Trump administration officials, alleging that Apple capitulated to unconstitutional requests by removing an app, ICEBlock, from its App Store. ICEBlock, designed to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities, had garnered over a million users.
Joshua Aaron, the developer of ICEBlock, filed the complaint, citing an interview on Fox News with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who apparently indicated that the government exerted regulatory pressure on a private platform, thereby infringing upon protected First Amendment rights.
The lawsuit names Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons, White House Border Czar Thomas D. Homan, and unnamed parties. Aaron further alleges that false statements and unlawful threats of criminal prosecution were leveled against him for creating ICEBlock.
Although ICEBlock remains functional for those who downloaded it before its removal in October, no updates have been released since. Aaron seeks the app's reinstatement and is pushing for legal measures to prevent any future criminal investigations that could potentially stifle his or the users' freedom of speech. In a statement to Ars, Aaron expressed determination to have ICEBlock restored.
"I created ICEBlock to keep communities safe," Aaron declared. "Growing up in a Jewish household, I learned from history about the dangers of silence in the face of tyranny. I refuse to back down from opposing the Trump administrationās campaign against immigrants and coercing corporations into its unconstitutional goals."
Despite not being named as a defendant in the lawsuit, Apple was criticized for allegedly yielding to government demands, marking what is claimed by Aaron as "a first in Appleās nearly fifty-year history" where a US-based app was removed due to government influence. Deirdre von Dornum, one of Aaronās lawyers, indicated to Ars that the case extends beyond the targeting of a single app by government forces.