Lawmakers on the US House Committee on Homeland Security have reportedly sent letters to the CEOs of Google and Apple, demanding a detailed account of their efforts to remove apps used to track federal immigration officers. In the letters, sent to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple head Tim Cook, the committee leaders cited the app ICEBlock, which had been used to monitor US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The committee pointed out that hosting such apps “risk[s] jeopardizing the safety of DHS personnel” (Department of Homeland Security).According to a report by Reuters, the letters urgently requested that the tech giants ensure these apps cannot be utilised to target officers or block lawful immigration enforcement activities. Lawmakers have told the companies to give a brief on the actions by December 12.

Apple and Google remove ICE apps from apps stores

The action follows persistent concerns from earlier this year that these digital tools allow users to anonymously report and track the movements of federal agents, including those from ICE and Customs and Border Protection.Both the tech giants previously acted against the apps. In October, Google stated that ICEBlock was never available on the Play Store but confirmed it had removed similar apps for policy violations. Apple, meanwhile, said that it removed ICEBlock and other tracking apps from its App Store, citing violations of its policies against content that could harm individuals or groups. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the apps “put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs.” The removals came after ICEBlock experienced a surge in popularity, reportedly garnering over a million users before being pulled from app stores.

Sabrina Carpenter slams White House for using her song in ICE activities

Last week, pop singer Sabrina Carpenter slammed the White House after the administration used her hit song, “Juno,” in a video showing arrests by ICE agents. On December 1, the White House published a clip showing ICE officers detaining individuals, with the lyrics “Have you ever tried this one?” playing repeatedly, captioned: “Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye.” Carpenter responded angrily, slamming the video as “evil and disgusting” and stated, “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” The White House deleted the original video from its X (formerly Twitter) account and later reposted a modified version of the content on TikTok.