Do Israeli Privacy Laws Apply to Foreign Entities?

The Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981 does not include any explicit territorial applicability provisions. Israeli courts may apply Israeli laws if the affinity to Israel is sufficient. For example, in class actions filed in Israel against Booking.com, PayPal and Facebook, the Israeli court asserted jurisdiction over the claims despite foreign jurisdiction clauses in these companies’ terms of service. Accordingly, the applicability of Israeli laws on activities related to Israeli individuals should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, based on existing case law, opinions of the Attorney General, and guidelines of the Privacy Protection Authority (See: “What are the Functions of the Israeli Privacy Protection Authority (PPA)?”).