Overview of Amendment No. 13 to the Israeli Privacy Law 

On August 5, 2024, the Knesset plenum approved the proposed Privacy Law (Hebrew only) (Amendment No. 13), 5774-2024 (the Amendment), which will come into effect on August 14, 2025.

The Amendment includes several main issues: 

• Changing legislative definitions
• Reduction of registration obligations
• Adding the possibility of demanding compensation without proof of damage – an option that has so far been granted only for a breach of privacy and not for a violation of provisions relating to Data Protection
• The obligation to appoint a data privacy officer
• Regulating the status of PPA and its enforcement powers
• Determination of sanctions for administrative violation
• Definition of criminal offenses in relation to Data Protection breaches

Furthermore, there are additional Amendments related to various issues. These include changing the wording related to the controller’s obligation to process the data only in accordance with the purpose of the database, adding obligations to the notice given when collecting data, removing the limitation to file a suit (private right of action) under the Privacy Law, which previously stood for two years, and more. These Amendments will also be addressed in the review.

This analysis seeks to review the main points of Amendment No. 13 to the Israeli Privacy Protection Act, which was passed into law in August 2024. It is important to note that, according to representatives of the Ministry of Justice, another amendment to the Privacy Protection Law, which is expected to include substantial amendments to the provisions of the law, is in the advanced drafting stages and is planned to be published in the near future. The analysis will also consider the comparison of key aspects (even if not comprehensively) with two leading pieces of legislation in this field worldwide: the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) (California). 

To read the full analysis written by Adv. Rivki Dvash, Senior Fellow at FPF Israel, here.