Israel is investigating Facebook over possible infringement of its citizens' privacy following reports that British consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed users' information, the Justice Ministry said on Thursday.
The probe will examine "whether personal data of Israeli citizens was illegally used in a way that infringes upon their right to privacy and the provisions of the Israeli Privacy Law," the ministry said in a statement.
Facebook came under further pressure from lawmakers, investors, advertisers and users after founder Mark Zuckerberg admitted the social media network made mistakes in letting 50 million users' data get into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.
Zuckerberg apologized on Wednesday for mistakes his company made and promised to restrict developers' access to user information as part of a plan to protect privacy.
On Thursday, Facebook executives were still saying sorry.
"We know this is an issue of trust. We know this is a critical moment for our company, for the service we provide," Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an interview broadcast on CNBC.
The company has lost more than $50 billion in market value since allegations that Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed data to build profiles on American voters and influence the 2016 presidential election surfaced earlier this week.
The Israeli Justice Ministry said that under the law, personal data may only be used for the purpose for which it was given, with the consent of the individual.
"Once concerns were raised that many Israeli users were affected by this breach we decided to take action," attorney Alon Bachar, head of the Privacy Protection Authority at the Justice Ministry, explained.
He said the suspected breach was "very serious," adding that the PPA has demanded Facebook provide it with answers and relevant documentation within one month.
Zionist Union MK Revital Swid, who heads the Knesset Lobby for Virtual Space and Social Networks, said the investigation was akin to "putting a finger in the dam. The right to privacy has long been lost."
Facebook and other social media giants "are operating in a no-holds-barred area, gathering information about users, storing it and selling it to the highest bidder. While every other database owner must comply with the provisions of the law and adhere to rigid technological standards to safeguard this information, Facebook and its kind avoid this by claiming they are not based in Israel.
"We must anchor as a basic right the right of every individual to have their personal information safeguarded, and ensure that anyone who mines personal information, including social media giants, is not only subject to Israeli law but is also subject to restrictions with regard to giving it to a third party. I have approached Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit with a demand that the provisions of the Protection of Privacy Law be imposed on social media giants," Swid said.
Zionist Union MK Mickey Rosenthal also welcomed the Israeli investigation against Facebook.
"The time has come for Israel to wake up and take responsibility for the threat posed by Facebook, Google and the other information superpowers. It is not too late to restrain these information monsters," he said.
