News @lemmy.world who @feddit.org 2d ago

Meet ICEblock: The app that lets residents know when immigration agents are in their community

www.yahoo.com Meet ICEblock: The app that lets residents know when immigration agents are in their community

A grassroots network of apps, text threads and forums are sharing real-time ICE location data. The Trump administration says that’s illegal, Alex Woodward reports

Official site: https://www.iceblock.app/

The CNN article talks a bit more about privacy issues. This bit caught my eye:

It’s only available on iOS because Aaron says the app would have to collect information that could ultimately put users at risk to provide the same experience on Android.

I would like to see some details about this. Perhaps there's a way to work around that problem, even if it meant publishing on F-Droid instead of Google Play.

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Why can't it just be a website? Why does everything have to be a fucking "app"?
Regarding the an Android version:

https://www.iceblock.app/android

TL,DR: "It's difficult, so we'll hide behind privacy excuses rather than helping the largest number of at-risk people."

Seriously, if VPN companies and every other company that handles sensitive data anonymously can do it, so can these developers. When 70% of the worldwide smartphone user base uses Android, an iOS-only app is just not good enough anymore.
Super skeptical that this is a Honeypot, or they'd just make it a web app.
Sounds like the dev is just not that familiar with Android.
remember when these guys couldn't breathe while wearing a mask during lockdown?

edit: "e"
If a person is armed and masked and does not identify itself, it is most likely a terrorist and a threat to the public.
I don't know. An app that only people with direct interest in this matter would use regularly, seems like a pretty convenient way to mark people of interest, no?

Not even in a sci-fk distopían way. Imaginet: TSE sees the app on your screen as you're powering it down in line? BOOM baby, alligator town.

No?

As much as I trash DeCeNtrAlIZaTiOn, maybe THIS is when you actually need DeCeNtrAlIZaTiOn, to protect all participants
Why not just release it as a self install not connected to an appstore?
Without open source, it could be a honey pot.
Good stuff, but IOS only at the moment.

Edit to include link: https://www.iceblock.app/
The developer put up more specific details: https://www.iceblock.app/android
There needs to be an Icebook. A Facebook for tracking them with the express purpose of naming, shaming, and black listing.
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Nice masks. Must feel like they're doing something wrong.
Would it be possible to create a webapp version of this? With ICE and CBP freely able to search phones now, I am worried about retaliation if they find this app on the phone.
What a good country we live in when this app is the #1 app in the Social Networking category.
No Android app?
"If it's a legitimate disappearing, the public has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
even if it meant publishing on F-Droid instead of Google Play.

Sadly this means it’s not accessible to like 95% of people, even if driven to install it.
Yeah that doesn't make sense to me. They could easily release it on fdroid and through a website where you can download the apk.

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