This archive report was first published on 25 May 2020.
Qatar's coronavirus contact tracing app, launched in April, has become mandatory for all citizens and legal residents, with non-compliance punishable by up to three years in jail.
However, the app's unprecedented access to users' location data and invasive permissions have prompted fears about state surveillance, with critics warning that the government is eroding trust.
Justin Martin, a journalism professor based in Qatar, tweeted that the app's permissions were 'alarming', while Human Rights Watch researcher Hiba Zayadin described it as 'highly invasive'.
Almost 44,000 of Qatar's 2.75 million people have tested positive for COVID-19, and 23 people have died, with security forces manning checkpoints to ensure use of the app.
Despite criticism, officials have said that the law on the app will be enforced with 'understanding', and a new version of the software was released on Sunday, promising 'minor bug fixes'.
However, the app's invasive aspects remain, with some users looking for ways around the policy, including buying 'burner' phones to protect their privacy.
Technology lawyer Rahul Matthan told AFP that the app could be a good tool, but 'to work, they need a large number of people to use it', and that if people are dissuaded by the app's overreach, 'that would be a worry'.
