Privacy group sues feds over talks with tech companies on ICE raid trackers | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Electronic Frontier Foundation is suing four federal agencies for records of their communications with Meta, Apple, and Google regarding the removal of apps and websites that tracked ICE activity.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/eff-sues-government-app-removals-ice-tracking-free-speech\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Privacy group sues feds over talks with tech companies on ICE raid trackers \"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Electronic Frontier Foundation is suing four federal agencies for records of their communications with Meta, Apple, and Google regarding the removal of apps and websites that tracked ICE activity.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" 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<span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.601351351351\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"35.016317016317\">\n<p> The lawsuit concerns the removal of apps like ICEBlock, Red Dot and DeICER from online playstores that provide real-time tracking of immigration raids. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/86917\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"404\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers.jpg?resize=640%2C404&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg 4960w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=300,189 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=768,485 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=1024,647 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=1536,970 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=2048,1293 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=600,379 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=266,168 266w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=534,337 534w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=1069,675 1069w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-2.jpg?resize=1335,843 1335w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1069px) 100vw, 1069px\"><figcaption> (Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"35.112237842821\"><body readability=\"71.143536875496\"><\/p>\n<p>A digital privacy group is suing the federal government to obtain records of its communications with technology and social media companies leading up to the removal of several apps and websites that were tracking the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies. <\/p>\n<p>In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation names four federal agencies (The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security and component agencies ICE and Customs and Border Patrol) as defendants, seeking their communications with Meta, Apple and Google. <\/p>\n<p>The conversations concern the removal of apps like ICEBlock, Red Dot and DeICER from their respective stores, as well as the removal of websites like ICE Sightings-Chicagoland, which provide real-time online tracking of federal immigration raids.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe government\u2019s actions are the subject of intense media attention and raise important legal questions,\u201d EFF stated in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eff.org\/press\/releases\/eff-demands-answers-about-ice-spotting-app-takedowns\">complaint<\/a>. \u201cDocumenting law enforcement activities occurring in public and disseminating that information to the broader public is protected First Amendment activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit states that Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/10\/03\/tech\/iceblock-apple-removed-trump\">removed<\/a> ICEBlock on Oct. 2 partly because of information it had received from \u201claw enforcement.\u201d Apple officials also cited Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said that Justice \u201creached out to Apple today demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App store \u2013 and Apple did so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Similar actions, like Meta\u2019s Oct. 14 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/meta-removes-facebook-page-that-tracked-ice-in-chicago\">takedown<\/a> of a website focused on ICE raids in Chicago, were also confirmed to be at the behest of the government, according to public statements on X by Bondi and other U.S. officials.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>EFF argued that these activities clearly fall under free speech and seek records on what kind of conversations these agencies were having with private companies and whether they crossed the line into jawboning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGovernment officials\u2019 coercion to restrict the First Amendment activities of a private party such as a law enforcement tracking application or website can violate the First Amendment,\u201d the complaint stated. \u201cThe nature and content of the Defendants\u2019 communications with these technology companies is thus critical for determining whether they crossed the line from governmental cajoling to unconstitutional coercion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump and the GOP made the Biden administration\u2019s conversations with social media companies the centerpiece in a broader argument that the administration was violating the free speech rights of Americans.<\/p>\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/judiciary.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/google-admits-censorship-under-biden-promises-end-bans-youtube-accounts\">told<\/a> the House Judiciary Committee this year that it felt pressured by the government to censor certain viewpoints. However, Google and other social media companies have described the exchanges in court cases as entirely voluntary and limited to sharing information about accounts spreading misinformation on COVID-19 and elections. Last year, the Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/supreme-court-rejects-effort-to-limit-government-communication-on-misinformation\/\">found<\/a> these exchanges were voluntary and that companies could refuse the government\u2019s requests without facing consequences. <\/p>\n<p>On his first day re-entering office, Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fcc-anna-gomez-free-speech-censorship-trump-administration\/\">signed<\/a> an executive order <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/restoring-freedom-of-speech-and-ending-federal-censorship\/\">titled<\/a> \u201cRestoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship\u201d that prevented federal agencies from using time, money or resources on activity that \u201cengages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>EFF filed requests under the Freedom of Information Act at all four agencies, asking for expedited processing due to \u201cthe urgency to inform the public about potential coercion of technology platforms and because it is a matter of exceptional media interest that raises questions about the agencies\u2019 integrity.\u201d None have responded with the records.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.5531531531532\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> 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{"id":8143,"date":"2025-11-21T14:53:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T20:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=86917"},"modified":"2025-11-21T14:53:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T20:53:34","slug":"privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/privacy-group-sues-feds-over-talks-with-tech-companies-on-ice-raid-trackers\/","title":{"rendered":"Privacy group sues feds over talks with tech companies on ICE raid trackers\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"