Topics Internet Law Update

Israeli Sues Facebook for Banning Him from the Social Network

An Israeli Facebook user, Mr. Omri Weil, recently filed suit with the District Court of Jerusalem against the social network site. In his suit, Mr. Weil seeks to prohibit the site from deleting content that he previously uploaded, and from barring his use of the site, without substantiation and without letting him voice his objections. In addition, Weil's lawsuit requests ...

Israeli Government Approves Net Neutrality Bill for Legislation

The Israeli Government's Ministerial committee for Legislation recently approved for legislation the bill amending the Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting), which proposes to prohibit Internet access providers and other telecom companies from restricting or blocking the transmission of data transiting through their networks, the applications and protocols that end-users use and the communications equipment connected to such networks (see the ...

The Israeli Bar: attorneys may be compensated in Bitcoin

The Tel Aviv District Ethics Committee of the Israel Bar Association recently ruled that attorneys may collect fees for their services using Bitcoin. The committee’s decision was handed down without regard to the regulatory problems that arise from using Bitcoin, a virtual currency based on an encryption system that allows covert use, without the payer or payee having to expose ...

Committee will set rules for Israeli judges' use of social networks

An internal committee within the Judicial Authority of Israel is working nowadays on establishing guidelines for judges' use of social networks. The Judicial Authority revealed that the committee will determine ethical and professional rules and principles that will apply to judges regarding this topic. The committee, headed by the Deputy President of the District Court in Nazareth, the Honorable Judge Avraham ...

Israeli Tax Authority Refuses to Register Bitcoin-Based Company

The Customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) division of the Israeli Ministry of Finance has refused to open a VAT record for Buy Accountless Ltd., owned by CPA and jurist Roey Gorodish, because its business operations are based exclusively on bitcoin, in a way that relieves the company from the need to hold an ordinary bank account.

According to the ...

Will foreign web companies active in Israel pay VAT?

An attorney representing Israeli companies recently applied to the Israeli Tax Authority, to have the Value Added Tax Law enforced on foreign companies operating in Israel in the field of web advertising, such as Facebook and Google. In his application, Advocate Guy Ophir alleges that the Tax Authority unlawfully exempts foreign companies from their obligation to pay VAT with resepct to transactions ...

The Israeli Biometric Database Pilot Kicks-Off

The Israeli Population, Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA) recently launched the pilot phase of the Israeli biometric database (see our detailed article about the Biometric Database Act). The pilot, originally scheduled to kick off in the beginning of 2013, has experienced some delays due to PIBA employees' strikes and some legal setbacks - all of which have been resolved in ...

Supreme Court: Police Cannot Order ISPs to Block Access to Gambling Websites

The Israeli Supreme Court ruled yesterday (March 24) that the district chiefs of the Israel National Police do not possess the authority to issue warrants ordering Internet access providers to block Internet access to gambling websites. The Supreme Court judgment thereby dismissed the State's appeal against the landmark decision delivered by the Tel Aviv District Court of Administrative Affairs in ...
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