Apple and Google App Store Censorship is pro-ICE
When Big Tech sucks up to the Trump Administration, it puts us all at risk. Apple and Google most recently agreed to government requests to remove ICE tracking apps off their app stores. This includes RedDot and ICEBlock, both apps that let people report sightings of and be conscious of the whereabouts of ICE officers. Also, Eyes Up, an App that simply archived videos of ICE Abuses and preserves evidence until it can be used in court. This app store censorship helps government surveillance efforts and puts real people in danger, all while setting a terrible precedent where the Trump Administration gets to decide what apps we can and can’t access. No company should have the power to decide what apps we use. Sign the petition demanding Apple and Google stop blocking ICEBlock and protect users’ rights by ignoring authoritarian demands from the government.
Background: What happened?
The Department of Justice requested that Apple remove ICEBlock, a completely legal app that lets people report and be conscious of the whereabouts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. And Apple complied, claiming it was due to ‘safety risks.’ Although ICEBlock did not have an Android version and was not on Google’s Play Store, Google has also “removed similar apps for violations of our policies.” This is especially concerning as Google’s new developer verification rules threaten to kill sideloading, alternative app stores and free app distribution.
Why does this matter?
Google and Apple are setting a dangerous precedent by complying with political demands without transparency or accountability even when public interest is at stake. This gives authoritarian governments another avenue to restrict the access to a free, open, private and secure Internet.
For more than a decade, Apple has forced its users to buy iOS software exclusively from the App Store, controlling what software its more than 1 billion iPhone users can access and reaping a 30 percent cut from App Store sales. Google-owned Android phones have, until recently, allowed users to sideload software. But new policies put this at risk, trending in the same direction as Apple. This fast-tracks authoritarian censorship that would be much harder to do if people could download apps from non-app store sources. If all it takes for a government to silence millions is an email to Apple-whether it’s to ban VPNs, news apps, voter guides, or encrypted messengers-the threat to human rights is severe.
Apple willingly engages in censorship on behalf of authoritarian governments to ensure it maintains access to its markets. Apple has censored Tibetans and religious groups in China, blocked encrypted messengers, VPN services and LGBTQ+ apps and content on a staggering scale globally. It kills innovation through a rent-seeking business model that threatens developers with a constant shadow of removal for crossing the opaque and often arbitrary policies it imposes.
While the companies claim these policies are security measures, we know this is not about security. It is about consolidating power and tightening control. This is a serious problem for human rights and free expression all over the world. It puts vulnerable groups at risk and helps dictators censor democracy movements, endangering us all.
Sign the petition urging Apple and Google to stop censoring apps and supporting authoritarian actions.