The nation of Qatar, hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has released a long list of heavy restrictions for visitors and the media ahead of next month’s games, including the downloading and installation of spyware on private phones so the government can track them.
According to Front Office Sports, the Qatari government is requiring visiting fans and game workers to download a pair of spyware apps to their phones that give the government access to their data.
Consequently, athletes, fans, and FIFA employees are being warned not to bother bringing their mobile devices to Qatar.
Fatma Al Nuaimi, Communications Executive Director of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), attends the press conference held by FIFA in Doha, Qatar, on October 17, 2022. (Mohammed Dabbous/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“It’s not my job to give travel advice, but personally, I would never bring my mobile phone on a visit to Qatar,” said NRK head of security Øyvind Vasaasen, Front Office added.
The apps, called Ehteraz and Hayya, have features that can disable settings put in by phone owners, can override previously installed software, and shares all data with the government.
The Muslim country also released a list of places from which the media is not allowed to broadcast, which pretty much limits them to the stadiums and games venues.
A picture taken on October 20, 2022, shows people walking past the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup countdown clock as it nears marking thirty days in the Qatari capital Doha. (KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Broadcasters will not be allowed to broadcast from government buildings, schools, housing for migrant workers, places of worship, hospitals, residential properties, and private businesses.
The games in Qatar already caused a wave of fear among foreign visitors when fans were warned that unmarried couples could face arrest in the strict Muslim nation for having sex out of wedlock.
Fans who support the LGBTQ lifestyle were also warned not to display any outward hints of that support for fear of arrest. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.
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