MONOPOLY ON PRICING IN THE SALE AND PURCHASE OF PHOTOS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ISLAMIC LAW (CASE STUDY OF PHOTO BUYING AND SELLING APPLICATION: FOTOYU)

Abstract Islamic economics is based on monotheism (asâs ilâhiyah), where every economic activity is a form of worship to Allah. The Fotoyu application as an artificial intelligence-based marketplace allows the buying and selling of photos containing human faces through facial recognition technology and location data. From an Islamic legal perspective, buying and selling photos is permitted (mubah) as long as it does not violate sharia, such as showing genitals or there is coercion in the transaction. However, the practice of price fixing by several sellers in the Fotoyu ecosystem has caused problems in business competition. Cases in various cities show pressure on other sellers to standardize prices, which is contrary to the principles of a free market economy and Islamic law. In Islamic law, cartel practices (ittihad) are considered a form of fraud (tadlis) because they eliminate healthy competition and harm consumers. This study uses a doctrinal legal method with a normative approach. Data sources include primary legal materials (the Qur'an, hadith, muamalah fiqh, MUI fatwas, and the Compilation of Islamic Economic Law), secondary legal materials (law books and journals), and tertiary legal materials (dictionaries and internet sources). The analysis was conducted descriptively to understand the phenomenon of price monopoly in Islamic law. The results of the study indicate that buying and selling photos in Fotoyu is permitted in Islam as long as there are no elements that make it forbidden, but cartel practices in pricing are contrary to Islamic economic principles. Therefore, supervision is needed so that business competition in Fotoyu remains healthy and fair.