Homeland Republicans Press Apple, Google Over Apps Used to Track Law Enforcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) and Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) sent letters to Apple and Google concerning mobile applications that permit users to anonymously report and track federal law enforcement personnel amid a surge in targeted violence against law enforcement.

In the letters, the members detail how these apps publicize sensitive information about law enforcement officers and agents, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials. The members warn that these apps pose serious risks to the safety of these officers, their families, and the security of their ongoing operations. One of the apps used to report the location and identification of DHS personnel, ICEBlock, was used by a gunman to track the movement of ICE agents before a deadly shooting in September at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas. In response to this tragic incident and intervention from the DOJ, companies that hosted ICEBlock removed the app from their platforms.

In the letters, the members write, "The Committee on Homeland Security is investigating mobile applications (apps) potentially hosted by [Apple and Google] that enable users to anonymously report and track the movement of federal law enforcement, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials. The Committee is concerned that these apps not only jeopardize the safety of DHS personnel but also enable malicious actors to incite violence and obstruct lawful government operations."

The members continue, "[Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store host] apps that allow users to report and disseminate data to reveal the location and identification of DHS law enforcement and their movements. These tools risk the safety of these officers, their families, and the operations they are conducting. As you are aware, one of these apps, ICEBlock, was used by a gunman to track the movement of ICE agents prior to a deadly shooting in September at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas. Following that incident and intervention from the U.S. Department of Justice, companies that hosted ICEBlock removed the app from their platforms. To be clear, the Committee is a strong supporter of all Americans' right to free speech. However, that right is not absolute. Accordingly, the U.S. Supreme Court in Brandenberg v. Ohio ruled: 'Freedoms of speech and press do not permit a State to forbid advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action.'"

The members conclude, "The Committee seeks to better understand what measures [Apple and Google are] taking to remove these types of apps from the [Apple's App Store and Google Play Store] and to ensure that they are not used to endanger the safety of federal law enforcement officers or interfere with the legal execution of federal immigration enforcement… We appreciate your commitment to working collaboratively with the Committee to address these critical issues and ensure the safety of federal law enforcement, their families, and lawful immigration enforcement operations."

Read the full letters to Apple and Google.

Background:

On December 3, the Committee convened a hearing to examine the rise in anti-law enforcement sentiment across the nation and its direct link to a surge in threatening behavior and violent attacks against law enforcement officers and personnel. During the hearing, law enforcement witnesses testified about the damaging impacts of doxing on morale and operational effectiveness.

There is an alarming rise in threats and violent attacks against law enforcement in the U.S., including the September shooting in Dallas, which led to the death of two individuals in custody and injured two others. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the attack as "an act of targeted violence" against law enforcement. In October, DHS uncovered gangs in Mexico placed bounties on the lives of ICE officers and senior U.S. Border Patrol agents. State and local law enforcement are also impacted by these rising threats. On July 7, an individual armed with a rifle and tactical gear attacked a Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, injuring multiple officers, including an officer from the McAllen Police Department. On July 4, a group of 11 assailants targeted an ICE detention facility in Alvarado, TX. The attackers shot and wounded a local law enforcement officer during their assault.

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