FIFA World Cup: Qatar AMPS up Security & Privacy Concerns, Hosts to introduce Facial Recognition Technology to monitor Spectators - Check Out

FIFA World Cup: Facial Recognition Technology World Cup: According to Niyas Abdulrahiman, Qatar World Cup’s chief technology officer, stated that the whole event, including visitors, would be watched by 15,000 cameras equipped with facial-recognition technology. The surveillance is part of Qatar’s attempts to keep an eye out for security risks such as terrorism and hooliganism during the event, which is anticipated to attract over 1 million people. Follow FIFA World Cup 2022 updates with InsideSport.IN

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FIFA World Cup: Qatar AMPS up Security & Privacy Concerns, Hosts to introduce Facial Recognition Technology to monitor Spectators – Check Out

Since winning the right to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010, Qatar has invested more than $300 billion on new infrastructure, including seven new stadiums, to accommodate the flood of visitors. According to Abdulrahiman, the monitoring network will be administered by the Aspire Command and Control centre, the technological hub that handles operations for the eight stadiums where the matches will be hosted.

Qatar supplies 15,000 cameras with facial recognition technology for the 2022 FIFA World Cup https://t.co/us6m8TjvXV

— koni toni (@konitoni2) August 18, 2022

“What you see here is a new standard, a new trend in venue operations, this is our contribution from Qatar to the world of sport. What you see here is the future of stadium operations,” said Abdulrahiman.

Rows of security personnel sit behind monitors in a chamber that resembles a NASA mission control centre. He stated that the control centre will keep a watch on all surrounding metro trains and buses. Qatar University experts have also built drones that can assess the amount of people on the streets. The security monitors will allow officials to plan out access to rooms and equipment in the event of an emergency.

“Basically we can open a door or all the doors in a stadium right from here,” Abdulrahiman said.

“Whatever happens, there is a response in place,” said Hamad Al-Mohannadi, the director of the command center, told AFP. “As long as there is no property damage and no one injured, we will just be watching.”

FIFA World Cup: Qatar AMPS up Security & Privacy Concerns, Hosts to introduce Facial Recognition Technology to monitor Spectators – Check Out

This isn’t the first time biometric technology has been used to assess soccer fans. According to the BBC, at the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff, UK, facial-recognition technology incorrectly identified over 2,000 people as potential offenders. The use of biometric technologies to poll fans isn’t the only security issue concerning the 2017 World Cup.

The latter was in a response to the people showing privacy breach concerns entering Qatar during World Cup. The Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported in October that tourists entering Qatar will be required to download two smartphone applications that might jeopardise personal privacy and data security.

“It’s not my job to give travel advice, but personally I would never bring my mobile phone on a visit to Qatar,” NRK’s head of security Øyvind Vasaasen said after reviewing the apps.