UK data regulator probing World Cup apps mandated by Qatari authorities for spying on English fans
"Ehteraz" and "Hayya" are the two apps that English travellers have been asked to download
UK's Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), a data watchdog has opened an investigation into two official World Cup apps over the concerns that Qatari authorities may be using the apps to secretly spy on England fans.
“If anyone is concerned about how their data has been handled, they can make a complaint to the ICO,” said a spokesman of the public body.
English fans travelling to Qatar have been mandated to download the ‘Ehteraz’ and ‘Hayya’ apps to allow access to the stadiums and Covid contact tracing.
However, some security experts are of the view that the app allows Qatari authorities to collect sensitive information which can be used to monitor the fans.
The experts have cautioned the travellers to be extremely careful with the photos, videos or documents that they keep on their phones. Moreover, there is a high possibility that vulnerable groups that remain on the edge of archaic Qatari legislations could be monitored through the two apps.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Countries such as Norway and France have already issued advisories to travellers to use the apps on a separate blank phone rather than the one they use for their personal use.
The BfDI watchdog in Germany has asserted that Qatari authorities are not coming clean on the kind of data they are harvesting and that there is a 'central server' where the data is being transferred.
“Among other things, one of the apps collects data on whether and with which number a telephone call is made. The other app actively prevents the device on which it is installed from going into sleep mode."
"It is also obvious that the data used by the apps not only remain locally on the device, but are also transmitted to a central server.”
The Qatar World Cup is heading towards its business end. The semifinals begin on Tuesday with the final scheduled for Sunday, next week.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: