ICEBlock climbs to the top of the App Store charts after officials slam it

原始链接: https://www.engadget.com/social-media/iceblock-climbs-to-the-top-of-the-app-store-charts-after-officials-slam-it-004319963.html

The ICEBlock app, which allows users to report ICE agent sightings on a map, has surged in popularity following a CNN report and subsequent condemnation by US government officials. Developed by Joshua Aaron in response to Trump administration immigration policies, the app alerts users within a five-mile radius of reported sightings. The White House and ICE officials have criticized CNN's coverage, claiming it endangers ICE agents and aids criminals. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged a 500% increase in attacks against ICE agents and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi have threatened legal action against Aaron, arguing the app is not protected speech and endangers law enforcement. Despite the backlash, ICEBlock has topped the App Store charts as the number one free social networking app in the US. Aaron maintains the app doesn't collect personal data, a claim confirmed by TechCrunch. The app is currently only available on iOS due to privacy concerns on Android.

The ICEBlock app, which alerts users to potential ICE activity, has surged in popularity after officials criticized it. Users in the Hacker News discussion defend the app as a way to avoid potentially unpleasant encounters with law enforcement, regardless of immigration status. Some express concern over potential data security issues, particularly regarding Apple's handling of push notifications and the developer's decision to offload data storage and privacy concerns to Apple, questioning if Apple would resist government pressure. Several commenters highlight the app's potential for misuse, noting that it could be easily flooded with false reports, rendering it unreliable. Others worry about the possibility of federal agents infiltrating the app. One commenter likens it to a Streisand effect. The absence of a reputation system for reporters, stemming from a privacy focus, makes it vulnerable to manipulation.

原文

US government officials have condemned ICEBlock and CNN's recent coverage of it, leading to more people hearing about its existence and downloading it from the App Store. Now the application, which allows users to add a pin on a map to show where ICE agents have recently been spotted, has climbed to the to the top of Apple's App Store charts. It's currently the number one free social networking app in the US and the third most downloaded free app overall.

Engadget

CNN's piece talked about how the app's developer, Joshua Aaron, launched it in early April after seeing the Trump administration crack down on immigration. When the piece went live, Aaron said the app had 20,000 users, many of whom live in Los Angeles, where ICE has been raiding neighborhoods. In addition to letting users pin ICE agent locations on a map, the app also gives them a way to add notes, such as what the agents are wearing or what car they're driving. Any user within a five mile radius of the sighting will get an alert.

But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that the CNN piece was "an incitement of further violence against... ICE officers" when asked to respond to the report on the podium. She said that there's been a 500 percent increase against ICE agents who are just "trying to do their jobs and remove public safety threats from... communities." ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons also issued a statement, saying that the app paints a target on federal law enforcement officers' backs. "CNN is willfully endangering the lives of officers who put their lives on the line every day and enabling dangerous criminal aliens to evade US law," he continued. "Is this simply reckless 'journalism' or overt activism?"

Meanwhile, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and US Attorney General Pam Bondi both said the government is going after Aaron. "He's giving a message to criminals where our federal officers are," Bondi said. "...we are looking at it, we are looking at him, and he better watch out, because that's not a protected speech. That is threatening the lives of our law enforcement officers throughout this country."'

Aaron told CNN that ICEBlock doesn't collect personal data, such as device IDs and IP addresses, which TechCrunch has confirmed in a test. The app is only available on iOS, because it would have to collect information on Android that could put people at risk.

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