Going to the World Cup? Get ready to have your privacy invaded
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Several cybersecurity experts have pointed out potential data security issues for participants in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The head of security for the Norwegian government, Øyvind Vasaasen told NRK (opens in new tab)“It’s not my job to give travel advice, but personally I would never bring my mobile phone to Qatar,” comparing the scope of official apps to giving someone the keys to your house.
Those wanting to travel to the Middle East to watch the tournament live will need to install a Covid-19 tracker called “Ehteraz” on their smartphones, in addition to “Hayya”, a mandatory ticketing and transportation app.
How do the apps work?
Vasaasen claimed that Ehteraz claims access “to various rights on your mobile, such as access to read, delete or change any content on the phone, as well as access to connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, overwrite other apps and prevent the phone from is turned off. to sleep mode”.
Naomi Lintvedt, a research fellow at the University of Oslo’s Faculty of Law, believed that if she were an employer, she would not allow employees to work from their phones in Qatar.
In addition, the French data protection authority CNIL suggested in Politico to “travel with an empty smartphone … or an old phone that has been reset” and that “special care should be taken with photos, videos or digital works that could put you in trouble with regard to the legislation of the country visited”.
British regulators have also recognized the problem. A spokesman for the British Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said this The register that it is “aware of media reports on this matter and that we will consider the potential impact on the privacy rights of UK citizens”, and advises football fans to check the agency’s website data rights page (opens in new tab).
The ICO gave no opinion on whether or not it was a good idea to carry a secondary “burner phone” for protection.
Through The Registry (opens in new tab)