Yes, scraping public data in Israel is generally permissible if it complies with privacy, copyright, and sector-specific regulations. Publicly accessible data—such as government records or court rulings—may be scraped unless explicitly restricted, but automated collection must avoid breaching the Protection of Privacy Law (PPL) or the Copyright Act. The Israel Privacy Protection Authority (PPA) and the Ministry of Justice’s 2024 Guidelines on Automated Data Collection impose strict limits on frequency, purpose, and data minimization. Courts have not yet ruled definitively on scraping, leaving gaps where compliance hinges on interpretation of the PPL’s “legitimate interest” clause and the Database Protection Law (2008).
Key Regulations for Scraping Public Data in Israel
- Protection of Privacy Law (PPL, 1981): Prohibits scraping personal data without consent unless the data is anonymized or falls under statutory exceptions (e.g., public interest). Automated collection triggering mass processing requires prior registration with the PPA under Section 13.
- Copyright Act (2007): Restricts scraping of copyrighted public databases (e.g., government portals) unless the use qualifies as fair use (Section 19), such as for non-commercial research. The Israel Patent Office’s 2025 Circular clarifies that dynamic web scraping violates copyright if it bypasses technical protections.
- Database Protection Law (2008): Protects “non-original” compilations of public data (e.g., curated datasets) from unauthorized extraction. Violations incur fines up to ₪500,000 (≈$135,000) under Section 42, with liability extending to third-party users of scraped data.