Israeli Court Awards Ex-Bar Head $160,000 in Privacy Lawsuit Against Journalist

A district court in central Israel has ordered journalist Hadas Steif and the State of Israel to pay approximately 600,000 shekels (about $160,000) in damages to Efi Naveh, former head of the Israel Bar Association. The lawsuit stemmed from the hacking of Naveh's mobile phones and the publication of their contents on the Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) station in January 2019.

Judge Oren Schwartz ruled that Steif's actions constituted a severe violation of Naveh's privacy and an infringement of a statutory duty, contravening computer hacking and wiretapping laws. The ruling stated that Steif "was the initiating and mediating factor who initiated and promoted the breach of password-protected devices," and that her actions "have a criminal character by their very central role."

The court found that Steif met with Naveh's ex-wife, Hani Naveh, and enlisted Yuli, who performed the hacking, fully aware of his capabilities. Steif allegedly instructed Yuli to return the devices if he could not access journalistically valuable material, without involving others, indicating her awareness of the illicit method of information acquisition.

Evidence presented showed Steif was exposed to the intimate nature of the data during a meeting where the phone contents were displayed. Despite this, she reportedly ordered the material copied to a USB drive, then printed and organized it into binders before approaching Galei Tzahal for publication. The court determined that the privacy violation escalated as the information was prepared for a journalistic report by Steif, who covered crime for the station.

Steif's defense arguments, including good faith, public interest, and journalistic source protection, were rejected. The court asserted that "a journalist cannot be an active partner in a violation of the law that constitutes a violation of privacy." The court also ruled that Hani Naveh was not authorized to transfer the devices to a third party, and the divorce agreement did not absolve the defendants. Steif had previously stated in a May 2024 interview that she did not steal or hack the phone but merely provided the name of a lab capable of breaching it, adding she was prepared to go to jail and would not pay Naveh a cent.

Israel was held vicariously liable for Steif's actions due to her employment at Galei Tzahal at the time. Together, Steif and the State were ordered to pay Naveh 450,000 shekels, plus expenses and legal fees. An additional 25,000 shekels were awarded for defamation due to a Facebook post by Steif, bringing the total to approximately 600,000 shekels. Lawsuits against other journalists were dismissed as they had received the material in good faith without knowledge of its illicit acquisition. The ruling is expected to have implications for journalistic practices, the transfer of mobile devices between partners, and the protection of personal data.