The safety of spectators at the Qatar World Cup is at risk
With not much time left before the World Cup begins and many football fans packing their bags to head to Qatar, new warnings about the safety of incoming travelers to Qatar, who are supposed to be spectators with tickets, have raised concerns.
World Cup spectators, as incoming tourists, are required to install two applications on their mobile phones. One of these is for tracking an individual’s social contacts to control the spread of COVID-19, and the other is a special World Cup application for ticket buyers and holders, allowing them entry to stadiums and free use of public transport services.
Internet security experts have issued serious warnings to travelers to Qatar about these two applications. These apps have extensive access to individuals’ phone calls and connected networks, potentially putting a lot of personal data at risk.
Norwegian security experts have issued a serious warning about this specific situation and have particularly advised travelers to Qatar not to bring their personal and regularly used mobile phones. In a surprising development, French cybersecurity and internet authorities have issued a relatively official warning about this and have explicitly advised the French to obtain a special World Cup phone and dispose of it after their trip.