European authorities warn against downloading tournament app Hayya

European authorities warn against downloading tournament app Hayya

Brussels, 11/17/2022

Hayya is the official tournament app used as a fan ID, digital ticket holder, reference point for information about matches, etc. Ehteraz is an app that users may need to download if they need to visit healthcare facilities in Qatar.
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority, the German BfDI and the main French data protection authority have warned against these two apps. According to them, these apps collect data such as a person’s location, who they called, when they called, and can even prevent the phone from going to sleep.

That’s a lot more data than they claim to collect.
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority even went so far as to recommend that its citizens take two different phones with them to Qatar so that they can download the apps on the second phone.

If they can’t have a second phone with them, the agency recommends that Norwegians back up all their data, wipe their devices, download the apps and then delete them he 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been a source of controversy since the country won the bid to host the world’s most popular sporting event. International human rights organizations accuse Qatar of violating human rights in the construction of the stadiums where the teams will play, but also that the country may have used corruption to win the bid.
This story became the subject of a recent Netflix documentary called FIFA Uncovered.

European authorities warned FIFA World Cup participants against downloading the official tournament app Hayya and the health app Ehteraz. The two apps can collect location data without permission.

Hayya is the official tournament app used as a fan ID, digital ticket holder, reference point for information about matches, etc. Ehteraz is an app that users may need to download if they need to visit health facilities in Qatar.

Organizations such as the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, the German BfDI and the main French data protection authority have warned against these two apps. According to them, these apps collect data such as a person’s location, who they called, when they called, and can even prevent the phone from going to sleep.

That’s a lot more data than they claim to collect. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority even went so far as to recommend that its citizens take two different phones with them to Qatar so that they can download the apps on the second phone.
If they can’t have a second phone with them, the authority recommends that Norwegians back up all their data, wipe their devices, download the apps, and then delete them as soon as they leave the country.

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