Mobile applications created to report the presence of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents in the United States have been targeted by cyberattacks.

Targeted Attacks

Hackers sent threatening text messages to StopICE users, claiming their personal data had been transmitted to the authorities. Simultaneously, they attempted to delete content uploaded to Eyes Up, an app designed to document alleged abuses by ICE. Finally, DEICER users received push notifications warning them of the alleged transmission of their data to various government agencies.

Sherman Austin, developer of StopICE, confirmed a spike in targeted attacks on similar sites. Rafael "RC" Concepcion, creator of DEICER, stated that hackers exploited a notification function to send messages to users, presumably with the intent to intimidate them. Mark, administrator of Eyes Up, reported an attempt to gain unauthorized access to the app's systems, aimed at deleting the video archive documenting illegal and inhumane actions by ICE. Fortunately, Eyes Up does not collect user data, limiting the risks.

No Evidence of Compromise

Currently, there is no concrete evidence that user data has actually been provided to the government. However, these incidents highlight the vulnerability of such applications, many of which have already been removed from the Apple and Google app stores, in some cases following government pressure.

For those evaluating on-premise deployments, there are trade-offs to consider. AI-RADAR offers analytical frameworks on /llm-onpremise to evaluate these aspects.