The US government is going head-on in its effort to crack down on immigration irregularities. It is doing so through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. However, several apps like ICEBlock and Red Dot have popped up and they alert users of nearby enforcement activity. While previous ICE tracking apps have been blocked, new alternatives have reportedly taken their place now.
Several ICE tracking apps have appeared on the Google Play Store
Users are reporting seeing apps like ICEbreaker: ICE Map & Alerts on the Google Play Store. The app will inform its users with real-time updates on reported ICE sightings in select areas. There’s apparently a provision for users to report a location when they spot such activity. The app doesn’t highlight precise locations; instead, it highlights approximate squares.
The app also offer community feature, where users can connect with others and discover ICE locations. It doesn’t show ads or collect and store any personal information of users. In fact, there’s no sign-up process as well.
These provide crowdsourced alerts about nearby reported ICE activity
Then there’s the Eyes Up app on the Play Store. The description notes that it’s a privacy tool for documenting immigration enforcement activity. It reportedly allows users to capture videos and pin them to the public map. The app doesn’t collect any personal data and doesn’t require users to log in. It isn’t clear whether these apps comply with Google’s Play Store policies. We’ll update if there’s any update from Google in this regard.
The Play Store policies usually do not allow apps that carry what it considers a high risk of abuse. Apple removed an app with a similar name (Eyes Up) from the App Store last year. However, users can reportedly still access the Eyes Up website , which serves a similar purpose and doesn’t rely on any app store.
