Israel's Privacy Authority Orders Police Probe into Leaked Sensitive Data on Mali and Liel Yahalomi
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Israel's Privacy Protection Authority has ordered the police to investigate leaks of sensitive personal information about Mali and Liel Yahalomi. The directive follows media publications of videos and details from their investigation after they were located in Argentina. The authority stated that the leaks, apparently from police sources, caused significant privacy violations. The police are to investigate how the information was disseminated and draw systemic lessons to prevent future breaches.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's Privacy Protection Authority ordered a police investigation into leaked sensitive data on Mali and Liel Yahalomi.
- The leaks included videos of the sisters in vulnerable states and personal details from their investigation.
- The authority believes the police may have been the source of the leaked information.
- Publications reportedly revealed private correspondence, AI searches, financial data, and their location.
- The police investigation aims to determine how information was disseminated and prevent future privacy violations.
Israel's Privacy Protection Authority has ordered the police to investigate potential privacy violations concerning Mali and Liel Yahalomi, following the publication of sensitive personal information and footage related to them. The head of the authority, Gilad Samama, instructed the police's internal privacy supervisor to use his legal powers to examine the matter.
The directive comes after repeated media reports about the sisters, particularly after they were located in Argentina on August 14, 2026. The published materials included videos of them in vulnerable states during their location and questioning by police, as well as sensitive personal details from the investigation. These details reportedly included private correspondence, searches conducted using AI tools, information about their financial status and activities, their location, movements, and expected arrival time in Israel.
An examination of the reports suggests that the police were the source of at least some of this leaked information. Samama emphasized the importance of locating missing persons but stressed the severe privacy infringement caused by publishing vulnerable footage and personal details like financial activities and movements after they had already been found. He stated that these publications, seemingly originating from the police investigation, caused significant harm without legitimate justification and potentially violated police procedures.
The police have been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into how the videos and personal details reached the media, contrary to police protocols. The authority also requested an examination of the criteria, if any, considered by the police before allowing such publications. The head of the authority further directed that systemic conclusions and lessons be drawn to ensure privacy considerations are upheld when transferring information to the media in similar future incidents. The findings of the investigation and lessons learned are to be submitted to the authority.
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