Fatwa issued on the illegal use of WiFi

Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (IACAD) in Dubai has issued a fatwa prohibiting use of others’ Internet WiFi service without their permission.

The fatwa was issued after a person asked a question on IACAD’s modern fatwa’s section, asking whether it was allowed to use someone’s WiFi without their consent. It officially states that,

“It is not allowed for people to use what belongs to others without payment or without their permission. Therefore, the Internet should be used only after subscribing to the service.”

They went on to defend their decision by saying that illegal use of WiFi could reduce the Internet speed for the original user making the whole act unethical. However, it was not prohibited to use WiFi that is designed to be used by the public.

While many people in Pakistan would consider issuing a fatwa on such a small thing as WiFi should note that a fatwa is an Islamic rule of law and since the UAE follows the sharia law, every citizen must abide by these fatwas. The IACAD regularly issues such fatwas, to keep a check and balance on the fast -paced technological advancement.

Our own government may not be taking any steps to keep a check on such things but it should be noted that to use someone else’s WiFi when it isn’t publicly available is actually stealing and completely unethical.

Source – What’s On