ICEBlock lawsuit: Trump admin bragged about demanding App Store removal

December 9, 2025

TL;DR

Joshua Aaron is suing Trump administration officials, including Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem, for allegedly coercing Apple into removing his ICE-spotting app, ICEBlock, from the App Store.
Aaron claims the government used regulatory power and unlawful threats, including threats of criminal investigation, to suppress First Amendment-protected expression.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to restore ICEBlock and block any criminal investigations against Aaron, arguing that the government's actions constitute a scheme of state censorship.
Legal experts and civil liberties advocates believe Apple's removal of the app may have been prompted by unlawful government demands and represents a capitulation to pressure.
Aaron states he created ICEBlock to help communities hold the Trump administration accountable and to protect civil liberties, emphasizing historical lessons about the consequences of silence.
Officials allegedly made false claims that ICEBlock incited violence against law enforcement, despite the app featuring disclaimers and not being designed to track officers' historical movements.
Aaron, a former Mac Genius, argues that his app is essential for communities to observe, record, or protest federal immigration enforcement activities, which he contends have led to well-documented civil rights violations.

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