Prayer app Hallow may be banned in Europe due to ‘over-regulation’ of religious apps: founder

February 5, 2025

The Christian prayer app Hallow may no longer be allowed in Europe due to “over-regulation” by the European Union according to founder and CEO Alex Jones.

The Christian Post reports Jones announced on X that “The EU is shutting us down by over-regulation, apparently targeting any religious app, making it effectively impossible for us to operate in the EU.”

While some details remain unclear, there is speculation that strict data privacy laws could be at the root of the EU decision.

According to the Christian Post, the EU enacted the Digital Services Act in 2022, mandating that all platforms operating within the region disclose their user numbers publicly twice a year.

The Act also restricts platforms from handling what it calls “sensitive data” such as information regarding a user’s religious or philosophical beliefs, without explicit consent.

The Hallow app has been downloaded more than 22 million times across 150 countries since it was first release in 2018, according to the app’s website.

The app provides guided prayers, meditations and Bible readings to its users and has partnered with celebrities like Jonathan Roumie, Mark Wahlberg and Gwen Stefani to promote it.

News of Hallow’s potential banning in the EU comes at a time when Europe continues to experience a decline in religious participation and an increase in persecution.

The U.K. Office for National Statistics reports that less than half the population identifies as Christian for the first time since the country’s first census in 1801.

Last year, a study found that more than half the Christians in the U.K. claim to have suffered ridicule or hostility for their faith.

Photo: top, Credit: YouTube/Hallow: Prayer & Meditation