Disappointed by the news that their beloved and admired premier Muslim app has been allegedly selling location data of users to the US military for ‘counterterrorism’ through a third-party data broker called X-Mode, without notification, scores of Muslim users of the app have stormed the official Twitter handle of #MuslimPro demanding immediate answers.
The Vice.com, the technology website, had alleged in a report widely re-published by the international mainstream media that the US military is buying location data of people, especially Muslims in the US and across the world from several popular Muslim apps including MuslimPro, Quran App and Muslim Dating App, among others.
Although the apps in the face of the storm have not responded to the allegations since Monday, November 16 when the story hit the cyberspace, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the US’ largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation has strongly condemned the illegal, unholy and unGodly transactions between their government and the popular Muslim apps.
The development has angered many users to have begun uninstalling the app, asking; “If #MuslimPro doesn’t renounce this allegation, I would suggest you try Muslim Pocket”, as posited by Caspofungin @jamiuabdullahi5 on the MuslimPro Twitter handle.
US military reportedly buying location data from Muslim Pro, the Muslim prayer app with over 98 million downloads#Vice #Muslim #MuslimPro #Data #US pic.twitter.com/bCYOFYjXvS
— Islam Channel (@Islamchannel) November 16, 2020
Another tweep, Md Emad Uddin @Emad_mallick_16 asked: @MuslimPro (I am) not one of your users but this is matter of concern and you should come (sic). You need to clear everything ASAP if you’ve sold our data i.e. money over faith you’ll questionable on akhirah.(sic) But if you’ve not then clear coz it may decrease ur subscribers.
#MuslimPro fellow muslims please go to the review section and downgrade this app after deleting it. Attack them where it hurts them the most. Raging on twitter won’t be enough! pic.twitter.com/nUoQ8ErAdO
— Osman Sg (@OsmanSg2) November 17, 2020
Checks by Muslim News showed that the app, with over 46,000 followers on Twitter has made two posts in the last 24 hours, none addressing the allegation. The first post, reads, “Islam is a total way of life. #MuslimPro” and the latest, a quote from the Holy Quran, Ali ‘Imran 3:144, which says; “Muḥammad [SAW] is no more than a messenger; other messengers have gone before him…”
As more Muslims expect explanation from MuslimPro, one user, Inzer Choudary @inzer_choudary claimed that the owner of the app is not even a Muslim, adding, “I don’t think he cares if he gets questioned on akhirah (the hereafter).
This is wild and unacceptable. Download a Quran/prayer app and end up with your data sold to a counterterrorism unit of the US military.
No Muslim app should be selling data, especially not like this. Wowhttps://t.co/afQRVm5V7S
— Dr. Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) November 16, 2020
Our investigation revealed that the leading Islamic app, with over 10 million Muslim users, was developed by a non-Muslim, Erwan Mace, a French national who lives in Singapore.
See more REACTIONS:
Well, I'm not uninstalling my @MuslimPro app. At the end if the day, all these apps sell our data.
You unistall Muslim Pro and leave Facebook. What a joke. 🌚
— Akasu (@JustCabyr) November 17, 2020
Selling us to the government? Is the lumpsome more worth than our privacies and lives?https://t.co/BDCMOzkQgh
— بس رائعة (@__Farilicious__) November 17, 2020
If this is true about selling the data than…You can not be trusted…Let your users know what is going on…Until I hear from or this gets addressed I will uninstall…So disappointed if this is true
— Charlette (@charheart1) November 17, 2020
As a Muslim, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt! Least this info is smear. But you have to come clean and address this subject of selling our data to third parties!!! You have 3 days @MuslimPro to come clean to your subscribers….
— 𝕸𝖆𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖃𝖆𝖆𝖏𝖎 (@dhagaqool) November 16, 2020
