The Justice Ministry is working on a bill meant to increase the state’s ability to monitor Israeli citizen’s phone calls and e-mails, Haaretz learned.
The bill represents an expansion of the government’s authority to obtain information from communications companies, which could include the ability to pinpoint cell phone locations, read text and e-mail messages, as well as track computer files.
Current legislation allows for only certain law enforcement agencies to obtain sensitive communications information, among them: the Israel Police, the Military Police Investigative Unit, and Military Police Internal Investigative Unit, the Justice Ministry’s unit for Internal Police Investigations, the Israel Securities Authority, the Israel Antitrust Authority, and the Israel Tax Authority.
The proposed bill attempts to provide similar information gathering authority to entities such as the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Ministry of Defense Security Authority, and the Environmental Protection Ministry.
According to the Justice Ministry statedm the purpose of the bill is to improve various aspects of the communication data law, nicknamed the “Big Brother Law,” which was implemented in 2007.
Supporters of the proposed bill say any investigative authority was able to retrieve communications data prior to 2007, and the so-called “Big Brother Law,” actually prevents some organizations from doing so.
“The experiment that has gone on since the previous legislation was made, taught us that a total prohibition against such agencies receiving communications information unjustifiably hampers their ability to enforce laws. Therefore, it is proposed that additional investigative authorities be granted the ability to receive such information required for enforcement of laws under their authority,” reads the proposal.
The proposed law differentiates between different levels of personal information, and would require investigative authorities to request special permission from senior Israel Police officials and prove need for information such as pinpointed cell phone locations.
Various organizations oppose the law, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which has filed a petition against the law, which is currently under review in the High Court of Justice.
Earlier this month, Israel's military launched a new system to monitor information on the Internet, with censor Col. Sima Vaknin-Gil saying that the new system will monitor visual and textual information on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, on blogs and on traditional news sites.

By Tomer Zarchin

Haaretz.com