Apple removed on Thursday several apps used to anonymously report the movements of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from its app store, reportedly following Trump administration pressure.

The apps had become increasingly popular in recent months as President Donald Trump’s deportation drive gained steam in cities around the country.

But Trump administration officials had fiercely criticised the apps as endangering officers, particularly following a deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Texas last month.

Officials said the shooter had used such an app in the days leading up to his attack.

Two detainees died as a result of the shooting, and another was wounded, though investigators believe the shooter was targeting ICE personnel.

Protests have occurred at ICE facilities and during ICE operations around the country, as Trump’s mass deportation drive has seen thousands of migrants rounded up, often by masked agents.

ICE tracking apps, including the popular ICEBlock, were inaccessible to AFP reporters on the Apple App Store late Thursday.

Fox Business first reported on the apps’ removal, with Attorney General Pam Bondi telling the news outlet that the Justice Department had “reached out to Apple today demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store — and Apple did so.”

Apple did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

In a statement to NBC News, the company said: “Based on information we’ve received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store.”

AFP

As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, Google has featured a special doodle on its homepage, adopting the green-white-green colours of the national flag and an eagle motif to commemorate the day.

A click on the doodle directs users to key historical facts and milestones about Nigeria’s journey to nationhood.

Meanwhile, in his Independence Day address, President Bola Tinubu expressed confidence that the nation is turning a corner, insisting that the “worst is over” after the pains of economic reforms.

Tinubu pointed to Nigeria’s second-quarter GDP growth of 4.23%, the strongest in four years, inflation easing to 20.12%, rising foreign reserves, and increased oil output as proof of recovery.

He also announced that the government has distributed N330 billion to eight million vulnerable households under its social investment programme and affirmed its commitment to accelerated infrastructure development.

Tinubu urged citizens to embrace peace, tolerance, and cooperation across all divides, stressing that differences are natural but must not hinder collective progress

The Federal Government has officially removed the 5% excise duty earlier imposed on telecommunications services in Nigeria, a decision expected to reduce cost pressures for millions of mobile subscribers.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) disclosed the development in a post on its official X handle on Thursday, noting that the step reflects the Tinubu administration’s efforts to cushion the impact of economic reforms and enhance affordability in the digital economy.

The tax, which covered both voice calls and data, was introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration but faced strong opposition from telecom operators, industry stakeholders, and consumer rights groups, who argued that it would further burden citizens already grappling with rising tariffs and economic hardship.

Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, confirmed the development, stating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the scrapping of the tax during deliberations on the recently signed Finance Act.

According to Maida, the removal aligns with the government’s commitment to fostering digital inclusion, easing the cost of communication, and encouraging growth in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

The decision is expected to provide relief to over 171 million active telecom users nationwide, who have also been hit with a 50% tariff increase implemented earlier in the year.