Israel court overturns police anti-gambling order
Internet service providers not required to ban access to egaming sites.
A Tel-Aviv court has ruled that a police order banning citizens from accessing gambling sites should not have been allowed.
According to newspaper the Times of Israel, the block, instituted last year, represents an infringement of freedom of information rights.
Internet service providers (ISPs) in the country had complied with a police order last June, however not-for-profit group the Israeli Internet Association (ISOC) launched a petition opposing the order in August.
Judge Michal Rubenstein said: “Clearly, gambling not approved by the state is a negative social phenomenon, but that in itself is not a reason to restrict that information.
“By blocking the gambling sites, the freedom of Israelis to access information was damaged, since they could not access the site to get the information stored there,” she added.
ISOC board member Rimon Levy expressed his group’s satisfaction with the ruling, explaining that it would have had no objection if Israeli authorities pursued the principals of gambling sites but saying “The idea that the police would decide what is protected speech is simply chilling.”