Israel's top court rules govt must legislate phone-tracking to combat COVID-19 crisis

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on April 26 that the government must legislate mobile phone tracking in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic. The top court ordered the Shin Bet security agency, which uses cellular data and other technologies to retrace the movement of infected people, to halt its surveillance technology until the parliament legislates regarding the controversial practice.

In March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved emergency regulations that paved the way for the Shin Bet security service to roll out its surveillance program. The course of action announced by Netanyahu raised concerns over civil liberties and a rights group filed a petition against the phone tracking to trace the coronavirus carriers.

Adalah, an Arab-run advocacy group, challenged the government’s decision which the top court accepted saying it should be articulated in legislation. Praising the court’s decision, the advocacy group said that it acknowledges the illegality but nevertheless allowing it to continue severely harms the civil rights of all citizens.

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As the number of coronavirus cases around the world continues to rise, government authorities have heightened the surveillance mechanism to keep a track of the outbreak. Digital surveillance in the wake of coronavirus pandemic has raised concerns over privacy and rights activists believe that it could be the next victim of coronavirus.

Read: Apple, Google Update Coronavirus Tracing Tool To Improve User Privacy

'Extremely invasive'

Earlier, a San Franciso-based non-profit digital rights group had said in a blog post that such extraordinary powers would invade privacy and deter free speech. It demanded the governments show that the use of such powers would be proportionate and based on science to combat the ongoing crisis. It also opposed the use of some of the technologies for surveillance calling it extremely invasive and dangerous.

“If the public grants such powers to the government, these powers must expire when the crisis ends, contain strict anti-bias rules, and be subject to strict safeguards and audits,” the group said.

Read: COVID-19: UN Privacy Chief Asks People To 'be Vigilant And Not Give Away All Freedoms'

Read: Privacy Rights May Become Next Victim Of Coronavirus, Fear Activists

(Image Credit: AP)