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Apple has pulled applications that allowed users to report sightings of personnel from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The company stated it had taken down ICEBlock from its application marketplace after authorities alerted them about possible "dangerous implications" linked to this software and "comparable applications".

Per a declaration shared with press agencies, the top law enforcement official Pam Bondi had "demanded" the app's withdrawal saying it was "designed to place immigration agents at danger".

Its developer argued that such allegations were "completely untrue" and alleged Apple of "giving in to an oppressive government".

History of the Controversial App

ICEBlock is among multiple applications released this year in answer to expanded border control activities across the America.

Detractors - like the maker of the app - accuse the authorities of misusing its powers and "bringing terror" to US streets.

The complimentary app works by showing the locations of ICE personnel. It has been installed in excess of a million instances in the United States.

Safety Concerns

However, authorities contended it was being utilized to target immigration agents, with the FBI stating that the individual who attacked an immigration center in the city in recently - fatally shooting two persons - had employed related software to track the movements of personnel and their vehicles.

In a statement, the technology firm said: "We established the application marketplace to be a protected and dependable environment to discover applications.

"Following intelligence we've gathered from police about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have withdrawn it and related programs from the digital platform."

Developer's Response

Nevertheless its creator, the developer, refuted it posed a threat.

"The software is no different from public reporting traffic enforcement, which each significant mapping application, including Apple's own mapping application," he said.

"This constitutes free speech rights under the First Amendment of the US Constitution."

The developer - who has had experience in the software field for many years - before explained he created the application out of concern over a surge in ICE activities.

"I definitely monitored pretty closely during the prior leadership and then I heard the rhetoric during the election race for the present," he stated.

"My brain started thinking about what was about to transpire and what I could accomplish to ensure public safety."

Official Response

The executive branch and federal law enforcement had denounced the software after it was released in spring and usage increased.