Malaysia bans Muslims from using FaceApp

Malaysia Mufti has prohibited Muslims from altering a photo of one’s face using the face-swapping app FaceApp.

“The use of FaceApp is akin to encouraging the tendency of changing God’s creation even though it is not done through physical means. Hence prohibition is needed to curb the tendency to change God’s creation through the sadd al-zariah principle (blocking the means),” The Federal Territories Mufti office said in a statement posted on its website,

The Mufti’s office also added that the app’s gender-swapping feature, may lead to confusion as to one’s true identity. The gender-swapped image could also be detrimental to a person’s reputation.

It also said that using the app to change the face to make it younger or older could also mislead people from the truth, adding that people can’t predict what they will look like in the future, as they are not meant to know what the future holds.

The statement included verses from the Quran to further explain the reason FT Mufti has issued the Irsyad Al-Fatwa.

The statement concluded with a message calling users to make wiser decisions and only use apps that has beneficial purposes.

“We reiterate that Muslims are not to use FaceApp or share the images of faces that have been altered, or edit photos of faces to change them to a different gender,” it said.

Malaysia, where about 60% of the population are Muslims, has in recent years seen a rise in conservative interpretation of Islam with the reach of hardline religious authorities increasing.

Just a week ago a Malaysian Islamic preacher, Nur Muhammad Hadi has declared the Faceapp as haram (forbidden) for Muslims.

Nur encouraged parents to check if their children have been using Faceapp because he feared that it would encourage them to switch genders or lure pedophiles. 

According to Nur, young boys would have the desire to change their gender when they see their features as female, or vice versa,

“Also, pedophiles may be attracted to children who post their photos online when playing with the gender-swapping feature.” he added.

FaceApp, developed by Russia-based company Wireless Lab and launched three years ago, uses artificial intelligence to alter the user’s face such as add smiles or change a person’s gender.

Over 100 million people have downloaded FaceApp with thousands sharing photos of themselves appearing as the opposite gender.