Apple has removed an app called ICEBlock from the App Store after warnings from law enforcement. ICEBlock let people mark on a map where they saw immigration officers, and then shared those alerts with others nearby. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the app was dangerous because it put officers at risk, and asked Apple to take it down. Apple agreed, saying it wanted the App Store to remain safe and trusted.⁠ ⁠ The removal happened shortly after a shooting at an ICE building in Dallas, where a gunman fired from a rooftop and killed two detainees. Officials claimed the shooter used tracking apps like ICEBlock to target the facility. ICEBlock’s creator, Joshua Aaron, says this is false. He argues the app was designed to protect communities during immigration raids, not to endanger officers, and points out it was downloaded more than a million times. He says he will fight Apple’s decision.⁠ ⁠ Apple has made similar moves before. In 2019, it removed an app used by Hong Kong protesters to track police. In 2021, it removed a voting app tied to Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Last year in China, Apple pulled WhatsApp, Telegram, and other messaging apps after pressure from local authorities. These cases show Apple often bends to government requests, even when the apps are popular.⁠ ⁠ Experts warn that governments can pressure private companies into silencing apps without passing any laws. That means Apple’s App Store has become a powerful gatekeeper, deciding which tools people can or cannot use when safety and politics collide.⁠ ⁠ #apple #appstore #privacy #freespeech #immigration #lawenforcement #technology #policy

Amazon will discontinue its app store for Android on August 20 this year. The company sent a notice to developers indicating that they will no longer be able to submit new apps to the store. The company said on a support page that it will also discontinue its Coins digital currency, which could be used to purchase games and apps on the app store. “Starting August 20, 2025, you will no longer have access to the Amazon Appstore on your Android device. We will also be discontinuing the Amazon Coins program on August 20, 2025,” the company said on a support page. Amazon said that it will refund any coins that users hold as of August 20. Read more on Amazon shutting down its app store on Android at the link in the bio 👆 Article by Ivan Mehta Image Credits: NurPhoto / Contributor / Getty Images #TechCrunch #technews #Amazon #apps #Android

Epic Games’ mega-popular Fortnite is returning to the US iOS App Store next week after a surprising ruling in a years-long legal battle with Apple. The dispute between Epic and Apple began in 2020, when Apple removed Epic Games from the iOS store. Because Apple takes 30% of all in-app purchases, Epic had introduced support for direct payments in Fortnite to bypass Apple’s fee. The following year, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple could not prevent developers like Epic from adding links for customers to buy digital goods outside of the iOS ecosystem to avoid forking over the 30% fee. But nearly four years later, on Wednesday evening, the same judge said in a ruling that Apple was in “willful violation” of the injunction that allowed developers to refer customers to payment methods that aren’t subject to Apple’s fees. Read more on Fortnite returning to the US iOS App Store at the link in the bio 👆 Article by Amanda Silberling Image Credits: CHRIS DELMAS / Contributor / Getty Images #TechCrunch #technews #gaming #Apple #Fortnite #appstore