Privacy Authority Demands Police Probe Over Leaked Yahalomi Case Data

The Privacy Protection Authority in the Ministry of Justice has instructed the Israel Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation following the publication of sensitive personal information and videos concerning Maly and Lial Yahalomi, a mother and daughter who were located in Argentina after going missing abroad.

According to the Authority, a review of media reports indicates that at least in some cases, the source of the information was the Israel Police, and these publications may constitute a violation of their privacy. The Head of the Privacy Protection Authority, Adv. Gilad Semama, approached Police Commissioner Danny Levy and the internal privacy inspector in the police, Superintendent George Kivorkian, instructing them to utilize supervisory powers under the Privacy Protection Law to investigate the circumstances of the information transfer.

Disappearance and Location in Argentina

The disappearance case began after contact was lost with Maly and Lial Yahalomi during their stay in Vienna, Austria, as they failed to board their scheduled return flight. Following search efforts, the two were located on August 14, 2026, on a bus in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Following their discovery, footage from the meeting with the police representative and the questioning was published, alongside sensitive details from the investigation such as private correspondence, AI searches, financial data, and expected flight details.

"The importance of publishing the fact that missing persons have been located and are safe is clear to all, but there is a real difficulty in publishing videos of them in vulnerable moments and exposing their personal details after they have already been found," stated Adv. Gilad Semama.

Demand for Investigation and Systemic Lessons

Within the framework of the directive, the internal privacy inspector was required to conduct a thorough inquiry into how the videos and personal details reached media outlets allegedly contrary to police procedures. The inspector must also examine what criteria were considered prior to the release of information and formulate systemic lessons to protect citizens' privacy in similar future events.