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Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

foxbusiness.com

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Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#491

Post by recursive »

jMyles wrote: post #479

Being able to instantly know the locations of our friends and of threats to them (whether in the form of other people, natural disasters, fires, anything!) is such an obvious benefit to public safety in the information age. It's one of the things that will finally allow us to supplant the yoke of the state, by having our own decentralized emergency response systems. When will we realize this benefit? Do we really hav…

Apple falling will be insufficient, as another overlord will take over. Host your own is probably the only answer.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#492

Post by tpmoney »

intermerda wrote: post #461
tpmoney wrote: post #444

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure but Senators actually have the power to make law, unlike the executive. Also let’s be honest, if any government official “requests” anything it is always under the threat of retribution. See also the Jimmy Kimmel situation.

> Also let’s be honest, if any government official “requests” anything it is always under the threat of retribution. If you wanted to be honest you would say this government, not any government.

I’m reasonably confident that if a sitting US senator called you up personally and “requested” that you stop posting on HN or stop contributing to some open source encryption tool that you would find that event threatening, no matter who was currently president.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#493

Post by tredre3 »

CodeCompost wrote: post #480

Well why do you need an app store for this? Can't you just ... I donnow ... create a webpage with OpenStreetMap integration?

They could and they could even make it a PWA so it would be on the home screen and able to send notifications.

But they only want to support native iOS for whatever reason (they've listed their reasons: https://www.iceblock.app/android, I just don't personally believe them to be technically accurate/truthful).

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#494

Post by mrinterweb »

mrinterweb wrote: post #15

Google is making it so sideloading APKs on Android is no longer possible. This is one of many great reasons why that should not happen.

Shocking no one, Google pulls the app too. https://www.404media.co/google-calls-ice-agents-a-vulnerable...

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#496

Post by angoragoats »

godelski wrote: post #462
angoragoats wrote: post #349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one would ever say this explicitly, but Tim Cook has very clearly shown it by his own personal actions and those of his company.

Okay, but you haven't answered the question either. Do you not think I'm not aware that Apple is bending the knee? I'm pretty confident JumpCrissCross knows that too. The question isn't about what's underneath the mask. The question is about what the mask is. What they're pretending the actual reason is. No one here is asking for the real reason because we're already aware. We're indicating it in the comments too. So…

Oh, well, a quick Google gives you the answer I think you're looking for:

> In an email to ICEBlock creator Joshua Aaron, Apple wrote that “upon re-evaluation,” the app does not comply with its app store guidelines around “objectionable” and “defamatory, discriminatory, or mean-spirited content,” according to a copy of the message viewed by CNN.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/03/tech/iceblock-apple-removed-t...

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#497

Post by sleight42 »

sleight42 wrote: post #468
jajuuka wrote: post #6

Not surprising. The media hyped up the app and the admin hyper focused on it. Was bound to happen eventually since Apple wants to play nice with the government. Nice thing is it isn't the only one and others are multiplatform instead of iOS only. I'm doubtful we'll be seeing ICEblock show up in the iOS side load community.

Capital does what serves it best. Values are little more than a fig leaf in capitalism. After all, how many of us sacrifice our income for our values? A very few, indeed.

Of course this gets downvoted. HN is after all first about capital. Startups.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#498

Post by angoragoats »

compiler-guy wrote: post #471
angoragoats wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is a tax increase to fund schools wealth redistribution?

Well, it's a wealth distribution from adults in a community to kids in the community, but a very good one that almost always benefits the whole community.

I do get what you're saying, but at the risk of being overly pedantic, this doesn't really make sense as written.

Usually "wealth redistribution" implies actual money or other liquid or semi-liquid assets being transferred from one group to another, and the kids in the community aren't receiving any of the money being put into school taxes.

I suppose one could argue that school taxes are wealth redistribution from the community to the _teachers and staff_. As someone who counts quite a few teachers among my friends and family, I wholeheartedly support this redistribution of wealth.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#500

Post by penultimatename »

t1234s wrote: post #483

This was the correct move from apple. Tools like this used to crowdsource location data of law enforcement can be used for malicious purposes.

That same justification can be applied to block web browsers, any social media platform, and any navigation app that allows user alert inputs.

The entire thing reeks of the same Biden-era pressures on companies that had pandemic misinformation that Republicans were so vehemently opposed to. Somehow harming law enforcement is a better justification than harming random citizens.

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