Apple has taken down another app tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, widening its recent crackdown on software related to government enforcement monitoring. The app, called Eyes Up, was designed to collect and archive videos of ICE arrests, social media clips, and news reports documenting potential abuses by immigration authorities.
According to a report by 404 Media, Eyes Up differed from other banned apps like ICEBlock, which was built to send real-time alerts of ICE sightings in local communities. Instead, Eyes Up acted as an archival platform, preserving public footage as evidence that could later be used in court. Its interactive map allowed users to upload, browse, and download videos from multiple sources, highlighting alleged misconduct during mass deportation efforts.
The app’s administrator, identified only as Mark, told 404 Media that its goal was accountability, not evasion. “Our goal is government accountability, we aren’t even doing real-time tracking,” he said. “I think the administration is just embarrassed by how many incriminating videos we have.”
Apple removed Eyes Up citing violations of its policy against “objectionable content,” as well as concerns raised by law enforcement that the app could expose the locations of ICE officers. The decision follows Apple’s removal of ICEBlock last week after the Department of Justice requested action against apps that “endanger law enforcement personnel.”
ICEBlock, launched in April by developer Joshua Aaron, used Waze-like technology to alert users to nearby ICE activity within a five-mile radius. By June, the app had gained over 30,000 users before Apple pulled it from the App Store. Attorney General Pam Bondi called ICEBlock “a direct risk to officers doing their jobs” and praised Apple’s compliance, saying the Department would continue working to protect federal agents.
Under the Trump administration, ICE has significantly expanded its operations, conducting over 65,000 arrests in the first 100 days of his second term. The agency’s renewed interior enforcement campaign has sparked widespread protests across U.S. cities, with demonstrations outside ICE facilities turning increasingly violent in recent weeks.
While Eyes Up remains accessible via the web and the Google Play Store for now, its removal from the App Store marks another escalation in Apple and Google’s broader effort to limit the distribution of ICE-monitoring tools. Google has also taken down several similar apps, including Red Dot, for sharing “sensitive location data” that could identify either law enforcement or undocumented communities.
Apple’s decision reflects the growing tension between digital activism and corporate platform policies. While developers argue that these apps preserve transparency and accountability, Apple maintains that protecting law enforcement and adhering to legal directives are non-negotiable. Whether Eyes Up and other archival apps can survive outside the App Store will likely depend on how the ongoing debate around surveillance, privacy, and civic oversight evolves in the coming months.
