French iPhone App Violates Law Against Collecting Religious Personal Data

JTA yesterday reported that a French iPhone app called "Jew or Not Jew?" was removed from the French iPhone app store after Jewish groups and human rights groups claimed it violates French law. The app allows the user to guess whether various public figures are Jewish or not.  French law prohibits the collection of personal data, such as a person's religion or ethnicity, without the person's consent.  The law was a reaction to the practice of Nazi occupiers in World War II who collected such data to send Jews to concentration camps. The app's developer Jonathan Levy said he intended the app to show pride in being Jewish. The organization SOS Racisme said it was planning to file an official complaint over the app this week. Violation of the French law could be punishable by up to 5 years in prison and over $400,000 in fines. The Wall Street Journal reports that the app is available in App Stores outside France, including in the United States.