RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE DRONE AND MISSILE BARRAGE ON UKRAINE, KILLING AT LEAST 18 CIVILIANS AND STRIKING KYIV AND MULTIPLE CITIES. (PHOTO).

Image
 Russia launches massive drone and missile barrage on Ukraine, killing at least 18 civilians and striking Kyiv and multiple cities  Russia carried out a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that killed at least 18 civilians and wounded more than 100 others across multiple cities, officials said Tuesday. The strikes hit Kyiv, Dnipro and other regions, with emergency crews working through destroyed residential buildings where some victims were trapped under rubble. In Dnipro, rescuers recovered the bodies of a 3-year-old child and a mother and her 8-year-old son, while officials reported 12 deaths in the city and six in Kyiv. The bombardment stretched from night into daylight, with explosions reported across wide areas of the country. Kyiv residents had been on alert for days after warnings of a major aerial attack, including advisories for foreign diplomats to leave the capital. Despite those warnings, most remained in pl...

APP TRACKING ICE RAIDS SUES US, CLAIMING OFFICIALS PUSHED APPLE TO TAKE IT DOWN. (PHOTO).


 App tracking ICE raids sues US, claiming officials pushed Apple to take it down

For six months, Apple offered an app called ICEBlock, which allowed users to alert others when they spotted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. After the Trump administration claimed the app endangered officers, Apple removed it from its store.

On Monday, the app’s creator, Joshua Aaron, filed a lawsuit against top Trump administration officials, alleging they pressured Apple to suppress his free speech and his right to distribute and promote ICEBlock. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claims that Attorney General Pam Bondi misused government authority when the Justice Department contacted Apple and demanded the app’s removal. Bondi had publicly stated in October that Apple had complied with her request.

The case could shed light on how Apple responds to government pressure. While Apple has historically removed apps at the behest of authoritarian governments such as China and Russia, this is one of the first times such a request reportedly came from U.S. officials.

ICEBlock’s removal was part of a broader crackdown on immigration-related apps. Apple also pulled DeICER, which reported ICE activity, while Google removed Red Dot, a similar service. Meta took down the Facebook group ICE Sighting-Chicagoland for violating its policies against coordinated harm.

Representatives for Bondi and the Trump administration did not respond to requests for comment, and Apple declined to comment.

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a partisan debate over government influence on digital platforms. In 2022, Republican attorneys general sued the Biden administration, claiming it pressured social media companies to suppress content critical of COVID-19 measures and vaccines. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the administration, allowing government communication with platforms about misinformation.

The Trump administration had condemned ICEBlock and similar apps, claiming they obstructed justice and encouraged violence against law enforcement. The Electronic Frontier Foundation previously filed a lawsuit seeking information about any government communications with tech companies that might have pressured them to remove these apps. Aaron’s lawsuit follows that effort.

Aaron criticized Apple’s decision, saying it aligned with the company’s practices abroad but contradicted how it typically responds to U.S. authorities. He cited Apple’s refusal in 2016 to help the FBI unlock a terrorist’s phone after the San Bernardino attack, citing privacy and security concerns.

Aaron hopes the court will rule that the government cannot coerce private companies and that Apple will restore ICEBlock to its platform. He said the case highlights the importance of standing up when the government oversteps its authority.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SHAKIRA COVERS WOMEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE,APRIL ISSUE.

THE NEW OONI OF ILE-IFE,WILL NOT EAT THE HEART OF THE LATE OONI-PALACE CHIEFS.

INNOSON GIVES OUT BRAND NEW IVM G5 AND SALARY FOR LIFE TO THE MAN WHO PROPHESIED ABOUT HIS VEHICLE MANUFACTURING IN 1979.(PHOTO).