A Reuters investigation from 2019 reported that DarkMatter hacked phones and computers of Qatar’s Emir, his brother, and FIFA officials.Ĭhalker, who opened an office in Doha and had a Qatari government email account, said in a statement provided by a representative that he and his companies would not “ever engage in illegal surveillance.”įormer Chalker associates say his companies have provided a variety of services to Qatar in addition to intelligence work. intelligence and military officials recently admitted to providing hacking services for a UAE-based company, which was called DarkMatter, as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department. The private surveillance business has flourished in the last decade in the Persian Gulf as the region saw the rise of an information war using state-sponsored hacking operations that have coincided with the run-up to the World Cup. The use of such technology provided by private firms is well documented by autocratic countries around the world, including the Gulf. “By implementing background investigations and vetting program, Qatar will maintain dominance of migrant workers,” one GRA document said.Īnother project, “Viper” promised on-site or remote “mobile device exploitation,” which Global Risk Advisors said would deliver “critical intelligence” and enhance national security. A project called “Falconeye” was described as a plan to use drones to provide surveillance of ports and borders operations, as well as “controlling migrant worker populations centers.” They included “Pickaxe,” which promised to capture “personal information and biometrics” of migrants working in Qatar. The full scope of Chalker’s work for Qatar is unclear but the AP reviewed a variety of projects Global Risk Advisors proposed between 20 show proposals not just directly related to the World Cup. He certainly wouldn’t need consultants to assist with that relationship.” In a 2013 document, Global Risk Advisors recommended the Qataris give money to one a soccer development organization run by Ali, saying it would “help solidify Qatar’s reputation as a benevolent presence in world football.”Ī representative for Ali said the prince “has always had a direct good personal relationship with Qatar’s rulers.
Company documents also highlight the company’s efforts to win over Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, a key figure in the soccer world and who ran unsuccessfully to be FIFA’s president in 20.
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