The State Comptroller examines the police's use of espionage measures against civilians
The audit will also examine the police's use of various software to infiltrate citizens' phones, such as NSO software.
"The technological means are used as evidence in the criminal proceedings and raise questions of balance between their usefulness and the violation of the right to privacy and additional freedoms," Engelman wrote.
Between Ashkenazi
18/01/2022
Tuesday, 18 January 2022, 17:36 Updated: 17:49
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In the video: The offices of the Israeli cyber company NSO (Photo: Reuters)
State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman announced today (Tuesday) that he has begun an investigation into the use of law enforcement agencies, and in particular the Israel Police, in technological means for enforcement purposes.
The audit will also examine the police's alleged use of various software to infiltrate citizens' mobile phones, such as NSO software.
The State Comptroller's Office said that "the State Audit Office places special emphasis on protecting the privacy of Israeli citizens and residents. The technological means serve as evidence in the criminal proceedings and raise questions of balance between their usefulness and violation of the right to privacy and other freedoms. "Therefore, the State Comptroller, Netanyahu Engelman, has decided to include in the ministry's work plan that has long been formulated the issue of the use of law enforcement agencies in technological means for enforcement purposes."
More on Walla!
Kobi Shabtai on monitoring citizens: "Everything is done with the required legal credentials"
To the full article
Engelman (Photo: Official Website, None)
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai today referred to Calcalist's exposure of the use of NSO software to monitor Israelis, and said that "such tools were not used in front of black flag demonstrators, telephone calls from authorities and monitoring of opponents of the Pride Parade." The police wanted to make it clear that although it
acquires
"technological tools from external companies, including in the field of communications and cyber," the companies are not exposed to the intelligence information or the products of the investigation. The use of a technological tool for the purpose of wiretapping was done only after the court's approval.
Commissioner Saturn ordered an examination of the cases that arose in the investigation, and after an examination it was determined that "some of the cases are incorrect." He also said that "the police are not using their advanced technological capabilities in front of innocent civilians and demonstrators."
The Minister of Internal Security, Amar Bar-Lev, stated that "the importance of preserving democracy in Israel is a candle to my feet and there is no exception to this and nothing out of the ordinary."
He clarified that no body under his responsibility could or could "operate outside the democratic rules," noting that the allegations of wiretapping had been proven untrue.
More on Walla!
Report: The police tracked Israelis with the help of NSO software installed on unsupervised phones
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"Everything is done with the required legal credentials."
Saturn (Photo: Flash 90, Jonathan Zindel)
Bar-Lev instructed the commissioner to investigate all cases in which technological means were used, to make sure that all were indeed carried out with the approval of a judge. "If such cases are found so far, "I will turn over every stone to make sure that the technological means in the hands of the police are not used improperly.
" And court supervision.The software took over the phones of protesters, employees of a government company, opponents of the Pride Parade and even mayors and a close associate of a senior politician, eavesdropped on their phone calls and watched their correspondence.
The follow-up was conducted, among other things, to find evidence of crimes that citizens were suspected of committing or involved in, or to find information that would help put pressure on interrogees.
Following the publication in the political system, they called for the establishment of a committee of inquiry into the matter, and some members of the Knesset even demanded the dismissal of the director general.
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