this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 273 points 2 weeks ago

Sweet. I appreciate that their reaction has Streisand-effected this app into my awareness.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 172 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They could try not being brown shirts. Problem solved.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 98 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

I love the quote about how it is putting federal agents in danger...and I sort of think that they are doing that themselves.

[–] Mamdani_Da_Savior@lemmy.world 37 points 2 weeks ago

Good, those agents are playing a dangerous game and you should know if you play with fire your going get burned. Its a matter of time before they try to kidnap the wrong person, and that person decides its better to die in America then it is to go to a camp then deported.

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[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 143 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

"[the app] basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs"

When it comes to painting targets on backs, better them then innocent civilians.

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 76 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Lol.

R's have not only painted targets, they've made ads, and joked about killing civilians and anyone other than MAGAts

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/guns-republican-primary-campaign-ads-midterms-1336903/

Greene in an ad for her 2020 campaign cocked an assault rifle as she warned “antifa terrorists” to stay out of her district

Masters, a venture capitalist and favorite of Trump-loving billionaire Peter Thiel, has featured guns prominently throughout his primary campaign. He responded to President Biden’s promise on Monday to crack down on “ghost guns,” which are homemade and untraceable, by tweeting a picture of a “ghost gun” he recently built himself. “Very legal & very cool,” he wrote.

https://www.indy100.com/politics/eric-greitens-campaign-ad-gun

"There's no bagging limit, no tagging limit, and it doesn't expire until we save our country."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/south-carolina-governor-henry-mcmaster-hunting-dogs-b2344416.html

"I look forward to the day that Democrats are so rare, we have to hunt them with dogs,"

Edit: and for the record, Blake Masters is a piece of shit buddy of both elon and Vance and they are all tied together in their hate for democracy and love of Curtis Yarvin and the plot to destroy western civilization. (Source: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/inside-the-new-right-where-peter-thiel-is-placing-his-biggest-bets)

[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 92 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Was curious so Iooked up the app's site.

Apparently the devs claim they can't release it on Android because "There's no way to be anonymous on the play store", but it's even more impossible to be anonymous on the platform they've released. That's how you know the developer is incredibly stupid and/or shady as hell- because they've never even heard of Fdroid?

Makes me think the app is a troll/trojan horse (not as in infection, trojan horse as in it has alterior motives)

The Drumpf crew "losing it" over the app just makes it more questionable. They love to create a firestorm so people talk about the thing "they definitely don't want you to use!!" to get people to do things...

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 33 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (4 children)

they mentioned that its because push notifications require device id and that would make it easy to be tracked if aubpoenaed.

https://bsky.app/profile/iceblock.app/post/3lmzykc7rb42d

edit: for the record i don't agree; i'm just saying what they said on bsky

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 46 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I'm not sure if this guy is just dumb or it's a honeypot.

  1. As mentioned elsewhere, they don't use device ID

  2. Android is the only platform that supports alternative push methods

  3. Apple knows everyone who downloads this app, which is subject to subpoena

  4. The gov has been collecting push notification data from both Apple and Google for a long time. It would be as simple as knowing when notifications went out and then comparing timestamps to figure out who is using the app.

  5. The app is closed-source

It would take significantly more mental energy on the part of the user but it would be far safer (which is extremely important in this specific case, as the dev agrees) to distribute through F-Droid and then use some other UnifiedPush implementation, as many Android apps already do. Anyone using this app is painting a huge target on their backs for the current authoritarian state.

[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

Interesting, especially with GrapheneOS people shooting it down immediately to call them out on their baloney.

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[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 89 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Anyone have a link to the app/website? I’d like to follow some among honing my horn and warning folks.

[–] Penguin_1024@lemmy.sdf.org 79 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 38 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Is this only on Apple? Kind of lame.

[–] SMillerNL@lemmy.world 54 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (11 children)

This is IOS only owing to Android play store collecting a device identifier; the creator wanted complete anonymity

Quote from some other place people were discussing it. Unfortunately no source on it.

EDIT: https://www.iceblock.app/android

[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world 46 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

There are other stores besides the playstore..

[–] SirQuack@feddit.nl 26 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

It's not about the store, it's about the notification.

As mentioned in the Time article:

the app is not available on Android because it "requires a device ID in order to send push notifications, which requires a user account and a password."

[–] brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 2 weeks ago

Ntfy.sh

There are ways around that

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (6 children)

You don't need a user account or password to receive a push notification.

You just need to have the app installed. The app can be configured by the developer to receive push notifications.

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[–] tfowinder@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 weeks ago

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

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 80 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Shouldn’t be an app. It should be a site accessible using vpn and private browsing with an appropriate browser. Nobody should have to worry about the Stasi finding the app on their phone regardless of the situation.

[–] tfowinder@lemmy.ml 23 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

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.

[–] Potatar@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

going to a website (not tech savvy enough for this) vs going to the settings on an app and select a new icon (yay anyone can do it)

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[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 57 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

This app sounds exceedingly useful to me.

[–] limer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 2 weeks ago

Looking at the reviews, ignoring the mega hats, it seems part of the app does not work from time to time

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[–] rekabis@lemmy.ca 48 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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

[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 88 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

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

[–] queueBenSis@sh.itjust.works 29 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

can’t even find “Joshua Aaron” on linked in or github. feels a little sus. my moneys on honey pot

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[–] catty@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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.

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[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 48 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Twenty years ago tracking armed thugs in ski masks would have been called a public service.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 44 points 2 weeks ago (33 children)

“He’s giving a message to criminals where our federal officers are, and he cannot do that, and we are looking at it, we are looking at him, and he better watch out,” Bondi said. “Because that is not protected speech, that is threatening the lives of our law enforcement officers throughout this country, and shame on CNN!”

Why can't he do that, Pammy?

Gotta say Aaron is a bold motherfucker.

[–] brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 2 weeks ago

No, no, no. They painted the targets on themselves.

This app is telling people where to avoid. Not where to go.

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[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 42 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 76 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (14 children)

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.

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[–] nthavoc@lemmy.today 40 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would imagine this is very similar to marking a cop on Waze and completely legal which is why they are throwing a hissy fit.

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[–] Entertain529@lemmy.ml 38 points 2 weeks ago

This gives honeypot vibes. IOS only with no way to access via browser?

[–] frenchfryenjoyer@lemmings.world 27 points 2 weeks ago

if they're worried about being tracked maybe they could do the easiest thing in the world which is not being complete shitheads?

[–] hera@feddit.uk 23 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Seems like the kind of thing a defederated system would be good for...

[–] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 19 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] treadful@lemmy.zip 20 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

decentralized + federated = defederated

Could it be any more clear? /s

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[–] Atherel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 2 weeks ago

It's going to be filled with false warnings from MAGA idiots and trolls...

[–] WrenFeathers@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago

Ice and snowflakes always seem to go so well with one another.

[–] Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Is it apple only? Would love it on my droid if it's available.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 21 points 2 weeks ago

Yep, and that will be it's downfall, because Apple will take it down and there's no way to install it without their rubber stamp.

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