It sounds like a honeypot to me. But I would be happy to be proven wrong.

Edit: and it’s gone?

While this is true, most people are not so tech savvy, maybe giving an option to mask app Icon to user choice can help it hide better.

Its totally possible to send notification without having user account, see firebase.

Waze and Google maps don't let you report them for the purpose of helping illegal immigrants avoid law enforcement, or to tell people where to attack.

They’re not advocating violence, just reporting a fact.

lol no one believes that, not even you.

But you do understand the power asymmetry of an unaccountable police force, right?

How are they "unaccountable", and how is that even relevant?

The fascists are arresting anyone they please without due process.

Anyone, or just those in the country illegally? Also law enforcement officers aren't "fascists" just because they're LEOs.

While I agree, in this particular case I think it's a good idea.

Bit of a meltdown you had there mate. Are you ok?

Is the app foss?

That doesn't have anything to do with how you install the app.

It has to do with receiving notifications from the app in a privacy-preserving way. Unless the app is running with a server connection 24/7 (RIP battery life) you need to rely on the OS to deliver notifications.

I'm happy they're scared.

You don't, there's privacy respecting ways of delivering notifications in android.

Also, a 24/7 connection to a server isn't nearly as bad as you might think.

The connection isn't active the whole time, it only uses any significant amount of battery if there's actually data being sent or received. You likely already have quite a few of them anyway, how do you think systems normally listen for push notifications?

Besides all that, I read in other comments that the privacy issue was the device id firebase needs. Obviously apple also needs some kind of device id, otherwise how do they know where the notifications are going?

Did some searching, yup apple also needs a unique identifier:

When it’s time to send a notification, you generate a request that contains the notification data and a unique identifier for the user’s device.

From https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/setting-up-a-remote-notification-server

dont they have site as well, just incase they decide to shut the apps.

I love how the Streisand Effect works. They just made this app the hottest thing out there.

No, and even worse, its only for apple devices lmao. These kids are so unserious in their activism it would be funny if it werent so sad. If shit hits the fan, this stuff will go down instantly and im sure it has no backup plan for a Tor based or p2p service. Activists in the US should start using Briar. This situation is exactly what it was made for and people have to get their tech game up fast or they will be done for. Get a shitty 80$ android phone if you only have an iphone. Install a panic trigger app that will wipe the phone if you are in trouble.

On ICEBlocks website it says:

Modeled after Waze but for ICE sightings, the app ensures user privacy by storing no personal data, making it impossible to trace reports back to individual users.

Which worries me, because if its closed source then thats a worthless promise and actually makes the app a perfect candidate for a honeypot or backdoor.

It's closed source, and the build and publishing pipeline isn't transparent.

For me that makes this no different than a potential ICE honey pot

Can’t it be both?

Anyone. Jesus christ have you not been watching the news? There have been countless American citizens detained by ICE because they don't know, or care, what your legal status is when they arrest you. They just grab Anyone.

which is exactly what this whole 'meltdown' frame for the pr hints at. republicans know how to use publicity stunts to get what they want.