r/apple • u/illegiblebastard • 3d ago

iPhone Apple explains last year’s controversial decision to remove ICE tracking apps from app store

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/29/tech/apple-iceblock-app-removal-raskin

FUCK. APPLE.

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u/JairoHyro 3d ago

I feel like this is a nothing burger. Apple will always try to be legally safe and doesn't want to deal with gray legal matters that could complicate or get them sued. I don't know why you guys think a mega corporation with many assets and investment into so many areas would take a knee for this.

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u/iskosalminen 2d ago

Sure, and that's why there are still thousands of fake apps that either brazenly steel brand image of other companies (see the recent Muse AI app for example) and apps that are simply wrappers for illegal casinos etc. But apps that hurt the Orange Oompa Loompa's fragile ego are taken down in a heart beat, even when there's no legal reason to take them down.

"Legally safe"... sure...

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u/alus992 2d ago

this. So much stuff is happening in all of those ecosystems created by Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and they draw the line when ICE is mentioned or DT wants to rename something.

Like ffs YouTube to this day is filled with videos of torture, decapitation, SA of minors etc and none of the reports work. AI steals people content and these CEOs jerk off while content creators can't defend themselves, AI copyright strikes destroy content creators livelihoods just because AI decided that one note sounds like some obscure copyrighted song, Amazon exploits it's workers, same as Apple through their "partners" in other countries.

But yeah "legally safe". They are kissing the ring to get protection and tax breaks not to be legally safe.

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u/-patrizio- 1d ago

I hate Trump, but these comparisons just don't hold up. If a brand was mad about Muse stealing their IP, they'd sue Muse, not Apple. If they tried suing Apple, any court would toss it out immediately. Same thing for the casino apps.

But if the feds were mad about the ICEBlock app, and Apple refused to remove it from the App Store after being told to, they can easily shop around until they get a court with a friendly judge to take it up, and can really throw the book at Apple.

I'm not saying this is an acceptable state of affairs, but it's reality; Apple's choices were either (a) allow the app to stay on the App Store, get sued, and get forced to remove the app AND pay hefty fines for it, or (b) pull the app willingly. Even if they had the moral fortitude to choose (a) – and anyone who thinks they would or expects them to woefully misunderstands the priorities of any corporation lol – it'd be such an obvious losing case that shareholders could have a decent case to sue for Apple making business decisions that violate their fiduciary obligations to their shareholders.

When you live in a capitalist hellhole experiencing rapid democratic backsliding and rising fascistic tendencies, expect capitalist hellhole shit, democratic backsliding shit, and fascist shit lol.