The Japan Sports Agency said Tuesday members of the country's Beijing Winter Olympics delegation will have their mobile devices inspected upon their return amid fears the compulsory COVID-19 app could pose a security risk.
The JSA said experts will screen the devices with the Beijing Games official app, My2022, installed and will delete suspicious apps if necessary, all with the permission of the phone's owner.
It is looking to lend mobile devices to the Japanese Paralympic delegation attending the Beijing Games that start March 4, adding both the JSA and the National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity will make consulting services available.
The government had previously urged those traveling to China for the games to prepare an alternative device specifically for the My2022 app and to keep its use to a minimum and delete the app upon leaving China.
British media reported before the Beijing Games a total of seven western countries, including Britain and the United States, had called for their athletes not to take personal smartphones with them.
It also said a total of around 1,000 athletes and coaches plan to discard the phones they use at the games.
