Plans for leading Catholic app hindered by red tape

Hallow offers millions of people a space for prayer, meditation and spiritual guidance, with a deeply personal focus.

It has been preparing to develop content in multiple languages, including Polish, French, German and Italian, thereby expanding its reach across Europe.

But founder Alex Jones took to social media to express his frustration at being faced with an overwhelming regulatory burden in Europe.

If the regulatory pressure continued, expansion plans for Hallow in Europe would become “virtually impossible”, he said.

While no official statement has been released, the issue appears to have to do with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), introduced in 2023.

This legislation requires digital platforms to disclose detailed reports on user activity, data management and content moderation practices.

But for faith-based apps like Hallow, the religious data used can be highly sensitive, meaning compliance with these regulations could be complex and demanding.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, a group dedicated to defending fundamental human rights, including religious freedom, has reached out to Jones, offering to examine the case.

Any legal battle could set an important precedent as to how faith-based organisations work within regulations concerning the digital world.

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European Union could ban the number 1 Catholic app in the world: Hallow – ZENIT – English (By Joachin Meisner Hertz/Zenit)