The State Comptroller's Committee held a special discussion on Wednesday about the leak of security information from social media and its impact on national security. The discussion revealed significant failures in protecting sensitive information, with senior security officials warning that the leaks jeopardize soldiers' lives and undermine IDF operations.
"We are in a situation where very significant information, which could assist the enemy, is freely available on social media, and we must stop this,” Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben Ari said during the discussion. “After [Operation] 'Guardian of the Walls,' we addressed the issue with TikTok management. Now we need to do the same with Telegram. There is a vacuum here that must be addressed to ensure Israel's security. We will hold a classified discussion on this."
Yesh Atid MK Ron Katz pointed to an incident that occurred on Telegram on Tuesday. "It was published in a Telegram group that an explosive device was attached to a Puma [armored vehicle] in Gaza. There was mass hysteria, especially when they mentioned the name of the unit. There is no control over the information; every launch is immediately leaked, and the enemy just has to open Telegram to know everything. Troop movements, strikes on strategic sites – these things directly harm soldiers."
Ron Karnieli, Deputy Chief Censor, explained, "Censor intervenes when there is a potential for harm to national security, according to the censor law and Supreme Court rulings. We also act against Telegram groups when the damage assessment requires it."
Nitzan Chen, CEO of the Government Press Office, mentioned that there is ongoing monitoring of the media, including foreign media. "In the last 12 days of fighting, 333 journalists arrived at the crossings. In exceptional cases, we revoke press credentials and remove people from the area. But anyone with a smartphone can broadcast – it’s impossible to control this, [it is] only [possible] to raise awareness."
Shlomit Lands, Head of the Investigation Division in the Police, clarified: "The police are limited in terms of authority. Responsibility for security offenses lies with the Shin Bet. Civilians shared locations in good faith, and sometimes, information is allowed to be published, so the situation is very complex."
Consequences of the security leaks
At the National Security Council, they warned about the consequences of these leaks. Yossi Maimon, Head of Domestic Policy, said that publishing locations led to events where soldiers were killed.
"In the incident at the Golani Brigade base, it was very easy to get there. Yesterday (Tuesday), the location of the incident and the rescue, which took three hours, were published. I know friends who followed these ridiculous things. It could have ended differently [and resulted in] a much worse disaster. We need to check whether soldiers are being encouraged in combat to share information on Telegram and more," he said.
"In real-time, you can see how information from the network reaches the enemy and harms forces," Rafael Chayon, an expert in information interception within cybersecurity, commented. "Live footage of Tel Aviv, documenting [missile] impacts in real-time – this is a life-threatening risk."
Avi Aflalo, CEO of Simplex, warned about the publication of high-quality 3D maps without oversight. "You can see every detail on the ground, the risk is clear, this is information that serves the enemy."
In conclusion, Yoel Hadar, the legal advisor to the state comptroller, mentioned that the office is already examining the extent of the information exposed to the enemy, also in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre and the Israel-Hamas War.