Apple's ICEBlock take-down shows how Big Tech's power can be used by American officials

"When Apple pulled ICEBlock off its app store Thursday, it wasn't just taking down a controversial app. It was showing Americans what the rest of the world already knows: A handful of huge tech companies control the choke points of modern life - and when governments lean on Big Tech, they can use those choke points themselves. For years, this was a mostly theoretical problem, or at worst, a developer gripe about App Store fees."

"But in 2025, the US government has twice pressed tech gatekeepers into service - first with TikTok, now with ICEBlock - and each time they complied. We call this censorship when Beijing, Riyadh, or Moscow do it. Now it's happening here. I'm not surprised Attorney General Pam Bondi was eager to take credit for pushing ICEBlock out of the store."

Apple removed ICEBlock from its App Store after a Department of Justice demand, illustrating how major tech companies control critical digital choke points. In 2025, the U.S. government pressed platforms twice—regarding TikTok and ICEBlock—and both companies complied. ICEBlock allowed users to post crowd-sourced sightings of ICE officers, prompting government complaints and public credit-taking from the Attorney General. The developer denied intent to obstruct enforcement even as the app's name and function indicate an aim to hinder ICE. The removal prompts questions about inconsistent treatment of apps that frustrate law enforcement and the potential for future government leverage over platforms.

Read at Business Insider