Israel’s controversial cyber surveillance gets three-week extension

May 5, 2020

Israel’s security service has been given a three-week extension on its use of a controversial phone technology that critics say infringes upon civil liberties of Israeli citizens. 

As the coronavirus began to spread through Israel in March, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet bypassed approval of the parliament and signed off on the tracing of cellphones by the Shin Bet security agency. 

The technology, which had previously been used to monitor Palestinian terrorists, would allow the government to surveil those infected with the virus and alert those suspected of having it. Those who came in contact with a COVID-19 case received text messages instructing them to quarantine at home. 

Critics decried the lack of parliamentary oversight and warned the emergency powers granted to the Shin Bet set a dangerous precedent. Netanyahu acknowledged the cyber contact tracing would “entail a certain degree of violation of privacy,” but said it was a necessary measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus.  

On Tuesday, a parliamentary subcommittee approved the Shin Bet’s use of the phone tracing through May 26, not June 16 as requested by Netanyahu’s government.