ACLU files request over data US collected via Muslim app used by millions

Harvesting of data on Muslim app users worldwide is a serious threat to privacy and religious freedom,' the ACLU says

The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking the release of three years of records that could shed light on how the US government acquired cellphone location data collected through apps used by millions of Muslims around the world.

The Freedom of Information Act (Foia) request, filed on Thursday by the ACLU and CUNY Law School's Clear clinic, follows an investigation published last month in Motherboard that revealed tech companies, including the one connected to the Muslim Pro app, sold personal location data of its users to the US military and defense contractors. The Muslim Pro app has been downloaded by close to 100 million people and is used to aid Muslims in planning prayer, finding local halal food and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Data collected from a Muslim dating app, a Craigslist app, and an app used for tracking storms was also sold to US agencies.