By bypassing parliament in March, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet passed emergency regulations that allowed the Shin Bet internal security service to take advantage of cellular data to track the movements of people infected by the virus.
The technology, commonly used for the fight against terrorism, has yielded data used by the Ministry of Health to locate and alert those who have been in its vicinity. The practice has been subject to some parliamentary oversight after a subsequent court ruling.
Accepting requests from Israeli rights groups, the Supreme Court said the government must start the legislation by April 30 and complete it within a few weeks if it wants to continue to track people's phones in its bid to stop the spread. of the virus.
"The state's choice to use its preventive security service to monitor those who do not want any harm, without their consent, poses great difficulties and an appropriate alternative must be found, consistent with privacy principles," the court said.
Citing press freedom, the court also ruled that monitoring of confirmed journalists who have been infected with the coronavirus can only be done with their consent. If they refuse, members of the media can request a court order against the practice, in order to protect their sources.
"We must take every precaution to ensure that the extraordinary developments we are dealing with these days do not put us on a slippery slope in which extraordinary and harmful tools are used without justification," the ruling said.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), one of the groups that petitioned the court, praised the ruling as a victory.
"Israel should not be the only democracy that operates its secret security service to monitor its citizens, including in the fight against the coronavirus," ACRI said on Twitter.
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said he was concerned about the court's decision because the Shin Bet "has made a critical contribution to curbing the pandemic and allowing us to gradually lift the blockade, giving Israel's citizens back their freedom of movement. and occupation. "
Israel, which has a population of approximately 9 million, has reported more than 15,000 coronavirus cases and 201 deaths. With around 100 COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 2,000 hospital beds on standby, the government has begun easing the restrictions.
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