The Israeli Privacy Protection Authority on Thursday informed Facebook that it had launched an investigation into the social network’s activities, following the publications on the transfers of personal data from Facebook to Cambridge Analytica, and the possibility of other infringements of the privacy law regarding Israelis.
According to the Israeli Privacy Law, personal data may only be used to the ends for which it has been given, and only with consent.
The authority says it will investigate whether personal data of Israeli citizens was illegally used in a way that infringes upon their right to privacy and the provisions of the Israeli Privacy Law.
Israel’s Privacy Protection Law empowers the PPA to enforce its provisions with regards to data protection, and provides the PPA with a variety of enforcement tools to conduct criminal and administrative investigations, as well as financial audits. The PPA imposes fines and may terminate or suspend activities of databases by suspending or erasing their registration.
As an independent authority specializing in data protection, PPA’s main mission is to outline the Israeli data protection policy, and to build trust in the digital economy. PPA focuses on strengthening data protection and empowering individuals by promoting individual’s control on personal identifiable data, and by promoting processes of privacy by design across the economy. PPA’s aim is to reduce the risks for data, taking into consideration the frequent advancements in the digital environment.
As a civil rights gatekeeper in the field of data protection, PPA is dedicated to ensure compliance with the Privacy Acts’ provisions on data protection in every Israeli company, business, NGO and public body that manage personal data.