Social media users have demanded the deletion of the “Muslim Pro” app following reports that user data is being exploited for surveillance by the U.S. military.
A report by the website “Vice” revealed an agreement between the U.S. military and a private company to purchase user data from an app with a customer base of 98 million, under the pretext of combating terrorism.
The U.S. military had previously acknowledged buying location data from various mobile applications, including Islamic ones, downloaded millions of times worldwide.
This admission came in a press statement by an official from the U.S. Special Operations Command, a division of the military focused on counter-terrorism, which was reported by media without revealing the official’s name.
The military official stated that “the data is purchased to assist the United States in its overseas operations.”
This acknowledgment followed a new investigative report that the U.S. military buys location data from mobile applications, such as the popular Muslim Pro app.
The investigation was conducted by “Motherboard,” an online magazine owned by “Vice Media,” a Canadian-American broadcasting and digital media company.
The investigation found that among the most targeted apps is “Muslim Pro,” an app that reminds users of prayer times and determines the direction of the Qibla, and has been downloaded over 98 million times globally.
Other targeted apps include an Islamic dating app and a weather tracking app, among others.
The majority of users of these apps are Muslims, which is seen as a continuation of U.S. policies that began decades ago in Islamic countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for an urgent congressional investigation into the use of Islamic apps by the government to obtain personal data from Muslim communities.
Nihad Awad, the executive director of CAIR, urged “Congress to conduct a comprehensive public investigation into the government’s use of personal data to target the Muslim community in America and abroad.”
Awad added, “Including whether this data has been used to illegally spy on targeted American Muslims. We also encourage Muslims to stop using these apps until companies cease their data exploitation practices.”
Social media users have demanded a clear statement from the app’s developers regarding the use of their personal data. Meanwhile, some users have suggested alternative Islamic apps that can be used safely, emphasizing that all they wanted was a way to know prayer times.
