Tracking employees’ location breaches their privacy says Israel’s DPA

Companies wanting to use tracking systems should do so only after an in-depth examination of both the benefits and harm done to an employee’s right to privacy during work, it said.

The PPA issued its opinion after receiving requests to question employers monitoring of their employees’ physical location.

Already commonplace for delivery drivers, couriers and sales agents, the practice has become increasingly widespread during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its ruling, the PPA says companies which track workers must comply with the Privacy Protection Law, be transparent with employees, meet the requirement of proportionality, and limit data collection to its original, stated purpose.

Such systems can only be introduced in the absence of an alternative which does not collect location data and if the nature of the job warrants it. It would be difficult to justify continuous collection of location data for office-based workers, the PPA points out.

The authority is inviting public comment on the issue until 21 October.