Likud Developed Eavesdropping App to Track Voters, Former Official Claims

A former head of computing for the Likud party, David Richter, has submitted a statement to the Supreme Court and the Attorney General alleging that the Likud party developed a new application capable of eavesdropping and collecting data on voters' identities inside polling stations, in violation of the law and a Supreme Court ruling. The Supreme Court had previously ordered a ban on transferring information about voters' identities and their arrival times at polling stations, following a similar decision by the Central Elections Committee chairman. Despite the court's order, Likud reportedly urged its activists to install the "Victory 2026" app on their mobile phones five days after the ruling, asking them to identify potential Likud supporters. Richter stated that the court's decision can be easily circumvented, even without physically touching a mobile phone, by exploiting the requirement for polling station committee chairs to read out voters' names and serial numbers. He explained that by knowing the identity of the party's representative at the polling station and their phone number, the party can identify voters and their voting times. Richter further claimed that a mobile phone left at the polling station could be used as an eavesdropping device by party representatives, creating a significant loophole. He also noted that in previous elections, Likud used the "Elector" app to track voters, but developed a new alternative due to fears of an Iranian cyberattack. Tracking potential supporters' votes is considered crucial for election day preparations, allowing parties to mobilize activists to bring supporters to polling stations and increase turnout in areas where the party has a strong base. While using such an app is illegal and constitutes prohibited eavesdropping, circumventing the law by transferring information without physically touching a phone would be difficult to detect.