Contact Tracing

Israel reinstated contact-tracing activities by the Israel Security Agency to track carriers of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Five days later, it halted the ISA’s contact-tracing activities, due to a lack of parliamentary support.

Israel Democracy Institute Experts to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee: “The only way to return to normal routine is through regulation and by encouraging the use of locally-developed apps in malls, workplaces and in educational institutions"

IDI experts' report on digital contact tracing highlights its importance as a helpful tool in addition to human epidemiological investigations

IDI's Dr. Tehilla Shwartz speaks with Amanda Borschel-Dan on a Times of Israel podcast about the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and how Israel's government is tracking them.

In its attempts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Israel has employed a measure that has not been used by any other democratic country. Since mid-March, the Israeli government has sought the assistance of the General Security Service (also known as the Israeli Security Agency, the ISA, the Shabak or Shin Bet) in conducting epidemiological investigations by providing the Ministry of Health with the routes of coronavirus carriers and lists of individuals with whom they have been in close contact. The ISA queries its communication metadata database to identify the route of confirmed carriers and the individuals with whom they have been in close contact.

Following the Cabinet's decision to introduce the ISA Surveillance Law to the Knesset, Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, says that "use of ISA surveillance provides a false sense of security."

Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee debate on contact tracing: "Permission to reintroduce the ISA's tracking program should not be granted."

Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler on why she supports the decision to halt ISA surveillance of covid-19 positive Israelis.

ISA's tracking of civilians is being discussed in the Knesset Subcommittee for Secret Services. As Israel is beginning to emerge from a state of emergency, less invasive alternatives should be adopted.

The new regulations that allow the ISA to track citizens threatens our right to privacy, and set a dangerous precedent that could remain with us long after the COVID-19 crisis comes to an end

Privacy doesn't have to be sacrificed in order to protect citizens from the coronavirus - it too must be protected