Facebook removes ICE-tracking page after US government ‘outreach’

Facebook has removed a page dedicated to tracking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in Chicago after the U.S. Justice Department intervened. The page was allegedly used to "dox and target" ICE agents, violating Facebook's policies against coordinated harm. This follows similar actions by Apple and Google to block ICE-tracking apps, also at the request of the government. The incident raises questions about whether the government engaged in illegal "jawboning" - pressuring private companies to remove legal speech. While private companies can generally decide what content to host, the government's role in these takedowns is concerning, given the Trump administration's criticism of tech platforms' moderation of misinformation. There is little evidence that ICE-tracking tools have led to violence against agents, despite the government's claims. The administration's crackdown on such tools comes amid increasing ICE presence in communities and a rise in assaults on agents, though to a lower degree than the government has suggested.