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Apple removes apps aiding protests

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Contents10
  1. HKmap.live
  2. Background
  3. Removal
  4. Navalny
  5. Background
  6. Removal
  7. ICEBlock
  8. Background
  9. Removal
  10. References

Apple has removed several apps from the App Store that were used to organize anti-government protests. In 2019, following criticism from the Chinese state newspaper, Apple removed HKmap.live, an app that allowed users to view the location of protests, police sightings, and tear gas incidents on a live map.[1] In 2021, Apple removed Navalny, used to coordinate protest voting, after threats were made to prosecute Russian Apple employees.[2] In October 2025, Apple removed ICEBlock, an app used to locate and report the presence of immigration officers, as well as other similar apps following a request by the DOJ.[3]

HKmap.live

Background

HKmap.live was used by protesters to avoid police while protesting.[4] The app compiles data from public sources to provide its users with information on tear gas use and police locations. Some of this data can include Telegram chats and user provided data.[5][6]

Removal

Apple pulled down the app after the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau (CSTCB) “verified” with Apple that it was used to “target and ambush police, threaten public safety, and criminals have used it to victimize residents", although no information on these claims have been provided to the public.[7]

A case for a potential conflict of interest can be made, as most of Apple’s assembly being in China.[8]

Background

The Navalny app was run by Aleksei A. Navalny, a political opponent of the president Vladimir V. Putin. Russian protesters were going to use the app to coordinate votes against Vladimir V. Putin’s United Russia party.[2]

Removal

The app was removed from Apple’s app store in 2021 after Russia “threatened to prosecute local employees”. The app’s removal occurred just before voting started.[2]

ICEBlock

Background

ICEBlock was made to help users “avoid interactions with ICE” with features like being notified when an ICE officer has been spotted within 5 miles of the user.[9]

Removal

ICEBlock and other similar apps in America after request by the DOJ as directed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. "We reached out to Apple today demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store — and Apple did so," Bondi is quoted as saying to Fox News Digital.[3] Information on what was said in the request is not publicly known. Further information is being requested by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.[10]

ICEBlock’s creator, Joshua Aaron, pointed out how “ICEBlock… functions like other mapping applications that use crowd sourcing for speed traps”.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Mihalcik, Carrie (2019-10-10). "Apple pulls HKmap.live app used in Hong Kong protests". CNET. Archived from the original on 11 Mar 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Troianovski, Anton; Satariano, Adam (2021-09-17). "Google and Apple, Under Pressure From Russia, Remove Voting App". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 15 Jan 2026. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Oliver, Ashley (2025-10-02). "Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from Bondi DOJ". Fox Business. Archived from the original on 11 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  4. ↑ "Apple removes HKmap.live app used by Hong Kong protesters under pressure from China". CBS News. 2019-10-10. Archived from the original on 8 Oct 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  5. ↑ "Apple bans Hong Kong protest location app". BBC. 2019-10-03. Archived from the original on 15 Dec 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  6. ↑ Mihalcik, Carrie (2019-10-10). "Apple pulls HKmap.live app used in Hong Kong protests". CNET. Archived from the original on 11 Mar 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  7. ↑ "Apple removes police-tracking app used in Hong Kong protests from its app store". Hong Kong News. 2025-12-02. Archived from the original on 28 Oct 2020. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  8. ↑ Nicas, Jack (2019-10-09). "Apple Removes App That Helps Hong Kong Protesters Track the Police". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 Dec 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  9. ↑ Duffy, Clare (2025-07-01). "'I wanted to do something to fight back': New app lets users know when ICE agents are in their area". Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on 16 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  10. ↑ "EFF Demands Answers About ICE-Spotting App Takedowns". Electronic Frontier Foundation. 2025-11-20. Archived from the original on 11 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
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