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Apple has withdrawn applications that permitted users to flag observations of officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Apple announced it had taken down ICEBlock from its application marketplace after authorities alerted them about possible "dangerous implications" linked to the application and "similar apps".

Per a statement sent to press agencies, the top law enforcement official the official had "requested" the app's elimination stating it was "created to put ICE officers at danger".

The app's creator argued that such allegations were "demonstrably incorrect" and accused the company of "capitulating to an dictatorial administration".

History of the Disputed Application

The application is among several apps introduced in recent months in reaction to increased immigration enforcement raids across the America.

Detractors - like the developer of the app - charge the administration of abusing its powers and "creating fear" to local neighborhoods.

The no-cost software functions by revealing the whereabouts of immigration officers. It has been installed in excess of a 1 million occasions in the US.

Safety Concerns

Nonetheless, officials argued it was being used to focus on enforcement personnel, with the FBI indicating that the suspect who attacked an ICE facility in the city in last month - murdering two detainees - had employed comparable applications to follow the movements of personnel and their vehicles.

In a statement, Apple stated: "We established the application marketplace to be a protected and dependable environment to locate apps.

"According to information we've received from authorities about the potential dangers associated with the software, we have eliminated it and comparable applications from the digital platform."

Creator's Reaction

But its creator, Joshua Aaron, refuted it presented a risk.

"This application is no different from crowdsourcing traffic enforcement, which each significant mapping application, even Apple's own mapping application," he commented.

"This is protected speech under the first amendment of the United States Constitution."

The developer - who has worked in the technology sector for many years - previously mentioned he created the application out of anxiety over a increase in enforcement operations.

"I closely monitored pretty closely during the previous administration and then I heard the rhetoric during the political contest for the present," he said.

"My mind started firing on what was likely to occur and what I could accomplish to ensure public safety."

Official Response

The executive branch and federal law enforcement had condemned the software after it launched in recent months and installations rose.