Privacy Authority Warns Parties Against Voter Data Sharing Ahead of Elections

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Israel's Privacy Protection Authority warned political parties and poll workers against sharing voter data, citing Supreme Court rulings. Violators face significant fines and potential prison sentences of up to five years. The prohibition covers all methods of data transfer, including election apps, and applies even to aggregate voter counts. The authority will enforce the rules and handle public complaints.

הידיעה ב-5 שורות · תקציר של baba

Israel's Privacy Authority banned sharing voter data, including arrival and voting status, ahead of elections.
Political parties and poll workers face significant fines and up to five years in prison for violations.
Supreme Court rulings in September and October underpin the new directive on voter privacy.
The ban extends to election apps and even aggregate counts of voters at polling stations.
The Privacy Authority will enforce the rules and operate a hotline for public complaints.

Israel's Privacy Protection Authority issued a stern warning to political parties and poll workers on Monday, just before election day, prohibiting the transfer of information regarding citizens' voting activities. The directive, based on recent Supreme Court rulings, forbids party representatives at polling stations from sharing data on who has arrived to vote, whether they have voted, or any details about their voting process. This prohibition extends to all methods of information transfer, including party-affiliated election apps.

The authority's warning stems from two Supreme Court decisions. A September 17 ruling declared the sharing of data on voter arrival at polling stations illegal due to privacy violations and a lack of legal authorization. A subsequent October 22 decision broadened this, prohibiting poll committee members and party observers from digitally, manually, or physically counting the number of voters at a specific station and transmitting this real-time information to their party. Even the total number of voters at a station is forbidden, regardless of whether individual voter details are included.

Director of the Privacy Protection Authority, Gilaad Samama, emphasized the potential consequences of violating these rules, stating that the authority would enforce the prohibitions through its administrative and criminal powers. Violations could result in significant financial penalties and, in some cases, up to five years in prison. Samama noted that this could involve server inspections and the issuance of orders, as needed. He also highlighted that intentional privacy violations are a criminal offense.

The authority stressed that the responsibility for protecting voter privacy lies not only with official poll representatives but also with app operators, suppliers, activists, and supporters. The authority provided an example of a potential violation: a citizen receiving a phone call from someone who clearly knows they have not yet voted. The Privacy Protection Authority will operate a dedicated hotline for public inquiries regarding privacy issues during the elections and will have representatives at the Knesset election command center to handle reported incidents.

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