The English Translation of the Israeli Privacy Protection Law

Israel's Protection of Privacy Law, 5741–1981, is the primary legislation governing privacy rights and the processing of personal information in Israel. Since its enactment, the law has served as the legal foundation for data protection obligations applicable to organizations operating in Israel or handling personal information relating to Israeli residents.

Together with the Privacy Protection Regulations, guidance issued by the Israeli Privacy Protection Authority, and recent legislative reforms, the law establishes the country's modern privacy framework.

This resource provides an overview of the legislation together with a complete English translation of the law for informational purposes.

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Quick Facts

Item	Information
Law	Protection of Privacy Law, 5741–1981
Jurisdiction	Israel
Main Authority	Israeli Privacy Protection Authority
Area	Privacy & Data Protection
Original Language	Hebrew
Available Below	Full English Translation

Why This Law Matters

This law governs many of the core privacy obligations applicable to organizations operating in Israel.

Among other things, it regulates:

• Personal information
• Sensitive information
• Databases
• Privacy rights
• Data processing
• Information security obligations
• Civil and criminal liability
• Regulatory enforcement

It also forms the basis for many of Israel's privacy regulations and continues to evolve through legislative amendments and regulatory guidance.

Who Should Read This Guide?

This guide is particularly relevant for:

• Privacy professionals
• Data Protection Officers (DPOs)
• Legal counsels
• Compliance officers
• Information security managers
• AI governance teams
• International organizations operating in Israel
• Technology companies
• Healthcare organizations
• Financial institutions

Key Principles

Before reading the full legislation, it is useful to understand several fundamental principles established by the law.

The Protection of Privacy Law regulates:

• protection of personal privacy;
• lawful collection and processing of personal information;
• obligations relating to databases;
• information security requirements;
• rights of data subjects;
• enforcement powers;
• criminal offences;
• civil remedies.

Relationship with GDPR

Although Israel's Protection of Privacy Law predates the GDPR by several decades, the two frameworks share many common principles regarding the protection of personal information.

Organizations operating internationally often need to comply with both Israeli privacy legislation and the GDPR. Recent amendments to Israeli privacy law have further strengthened alignment with international privacy standards while maintaining a distinct national legal framework.

Recent Legislative Developments

Israel's privacy framework continues to evolve.

Recent amendments have introduced significant changes relating to:

• enforcement powers;
• administrative sanctions;
• organizational accountability;
• regulatory supervision;
• database governance.

Organizations should therefore consider not only the original law but also subsequent amendments and regulatory guidance.

Full English Translation

Click here to access the full translation of this law on the Or-Hof website.