Qatar makes COVID-19 app mandatory, experts question efficiency

Qatar is turning to technology to help contain the coronavirus. Although the country has only seen 23 confirmed deaths to date, its infection rate remains stubbornly high, with more than 40,000 people infected amid a population of roughly 2.8 million. The new Ehteraz app is seen by government officials as the latest salvo in its attempts to curb the transmission of the virus.

Starting late last week, citizens and residents have been required to have the Ehteraz contact-tracing app installed on mobile devices when leaving their homes, allowing the government to track if the user has been in touch with an infected person.

Live NEWS/QATAR Qatar makes COVID-19 app mandatory, experts question efficiency Qatari public health officials try to quell privacy concerns as contact-tracing app Ehteraz comes into force. 9 hours ago whatsapp Citizens and residents in Qatar are required to have the Ehteraz app installed on mobile devices when leaving their homes [Al Jazeera] Citizens and residents in Qatar are required to have the Ehteraz app installed on mobile devices when leaving their homes [Al Jazeera] Qatar is turning to technology to help contain the coronavirus. Although the country has only seen 23 confirmed deaths to date, its infection rate remains stubbornly high, with more than 40,000 people infected amid a population of roughly 2.8 million. The new Ehteraz app is seen by government officials as the latest salvo in its attempts to curb the transmission of the virus. More: Qatar introduces new coronavirus restrictions for Eid al-Fitr Qatar bans entry of foreigners as coronavirus cases rise How the coronavirus pandemic affected Qatar's university students Starting late last week, citizens and residents have been required to have the Ehteraz contact-tracing app installed on mobile devices when leaving their homes, allowing the government to track if the user has been in touch with an infected person. Advertisement Not having the app installed could lead to a maximum fine of $55,000 or three years in prison. But the announcement, days before the Eid al-Fitr holiday, led users to raise privacy concerns as the app requires access to files on the phone and permanent use of its GPS and Bluetooth for location tracking. In response, a government spokesperson told Al Jazeera that user data would be safe and accessible only to health professionals. The government has asserted that other agencies, such as law enforcement, cannot access personal data on the app, and any data collected would be deleted after two months. "We confirm that all user data on Ehteraz app is completely confidential and is only accessible to relevant, specialised teams when necessary," Qatar's Director of the Public Health Department Dr Mohamed bin Hamad Al Thani said. Amnesty International reported on Tuesday that they uncovered security vulnerabilities in the Ehteraz app, which have since been fixed after the rights group alerted the Qatari authorities.