Israel's Passenger Data Law Criticized for Underutilization
Translated & summarized from Channel 9 by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's 2023 law mandates airlines submit passenger and crew data for security.
- A National Center for Passenger Data Analysis was established within the Tax Authority.
- The Shin Bet, Mossad, and police can create their own database units.
- Data on foreign flight crews was reportedly not systematically checked for two years.
- The oversight is seen as a failure to use existing data, not a lack of capability.
A 2023 law established Israel's National Center for Passenger Data Analysis within the Tax Authority, mandating airlines to submit passenger and crew data, including names, birth dates, citizenship, and passport details. The legislation was enacted to combat terrorism and enhance aviation security. The Ministry of Transport can request and analyze this information, while the Shin Bet, Mossad, and police are authorized to create their own database units.
Despite the establishment of this data collection mechanism and legal framework, recent reports suggest that for approximately two years, data on foreign flight crews was not systematically extracted for necessary checks. The author points out that obtaining information like Omani citizenship does not require complex intelligence operations, but rather accessing the existing database. This oversight is presented not as a lack of intelligence capabilities, but as a failure to utilize the established system for routine security checks.
