“Use Signal,” Elon Musk tweeted on January 7, 2021, in response to the upcoming renewed Privacy Policy of the famous messaging service WhatsApp. Shortly after the tweet, several customers switched to Signal and left WhatsApp.
The reason was simple: a compromise in privacy.
As we all know, data seems to be the next oil, and throughout cyberspace, there is a constant breach and compromise of private data, which can be sold for millions (if not billions) to whoever is willing to dish out the money.
Now undoubtedly, a lot of organizations don’t deem it as neither illegal, since the Terms & Conditions clearly give the rights to the companies and organizations to access the user’s data, nor unethical, claiming it to be a help in their users seeing customized advertisement of products and/or services that interest them.
But what are the Islamic views on this data compromise?
- “And do not spy or backbite each other” – Qur’an 49:12
Breach or compromise of personal data of a user is equivalent to spying on them, since it is a continuous process. Now, some may say that it is a consensual surveillance according to the terms and conditions, but from an Islamic perspective, surveillance itself is an act of spying, which is prohibited.
2. Do not access any data without the user’s permission:
“Do not enter any house other than your own until you have asked for permission and greeted its occupants.”
– Qur’an 24:27
Today, our devices, like our mobiles and computers, have become our second homes, where we store our private and personal documents, pictures, videos, etc. in digital form. Therefore, in this day and age, entering a user’s device is equivalent to entering theirs homes. Therefore, accessing user’s data without their permission is prohibited in Islam.
3. “And if you do not find anyone therein, do not enter them until permission has been given to you” – Qur’an 24:28
“And if you do not find anyone therein, do not enter them until permission has been given to you”
– Qur’an 24:28
This verse immediately follows the last verse discussed above. In terms of our devices being our second homes, us being away from them is equivalent to us not being “home”. In such a case, The Holy Qur’an commands the visitor to refrain from entering, until they seek permission, and have been given the permission to enter.
This means that, if and when a user is away, the organizations cannot access their mobile phones until and unless they seek permission, and have been granted one by the user.
4. “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due” – Qur’an 4:58
Online privacy is a matter of trust. When a user installs an application or a software, they expect it to respect their private and personal data. According to the Qur’an, it is the duty of the developers to not only respect the privacy of their users, but to fully return and establish the trust the users have put in their software.
Thus, we can conclude that data privacy is a serious matter from Islamic perspective. In this day and age, every organization must respect and honor the privacy of its customers, and breaching private data of any user is ethically wrong from the Islamic perspective.
Revisiting Islam 
I really love the way things have been put in this article. Many evils of social media like trolling, stalking etc. can be put to an end if we just pay heed to these verses. Good step. Keep enlightening us.
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I really love the way things have been put in this article. It awakens the soul. Many evils of Social Media like trolling, stalking, etc can be put to an end if we just pay heed to these simple but not followed practices.
Thanks for enlightening us, and showing the way to reflect on our learnings.👍
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