BDO Israel Privacy Notice

This privacy notice concerns personal data collected and processed by Ziv Haft Certified Public Accountants (Registered Partnership), which provides professional services in the course of its business under the name BDO Israel and its affiliates (collectively, “BDO Israel,” “we,” “us,” and “our”). The purpose of this privacy notice is to publicly state and explain the privacy policy of BDO Israel in connection with the collection of identifying personal data (“Personal Data”), and applies to Personal Data that is: (1) given to BDO Israel by private clients to whom we provide various services; (2) given to us by other companies or organizations in the course of the provision of services to such parties; (3) collected by us in connection with the use of our website, www.bdo.co.il (including any pages under this domain), including applications for jobs through the website and through various websites of BDO Israel and of its Affiliates as may be available from time to time (collectively the "Websites”); or (4) collected by us in the course of conducting marketing activities by BDO Israel. All persons regarding whom BDO Israel collects and processes Personal Data pursuant to this privacy notice shall be referred to hereinafter as “Data Subjects.”

This privacy notice is a material part of the terms of the Websites, which you can peruse here, and of the contractual engagement letters, price quotes, and/or any contract with the customers and service providers of BDO Israel (the terms of the Websites, the contractual engagement letters, the price quotes, and/or all contracts, as relevant in each case, are jointly referred to in this notice as the “Terms and Conditions”). Any terms not explicitly defined in this privacy notice shall have the meaning assigned thereto in the Terms and Conditions.

Headings and subheadings are provided solely for convenience, and shall not be used in any manner for the interpretation of privacy policy or any of the provisions thereof.

General information

BDO Israel is part of an international network of independent accounting, taxation, and consulting firms (“BDO Network Members”), which provide professional services under the name BDO (“BDO”).

Each of the BDO Network Members is a separate legal entity and bears no liability for the actions and/or omissions of other network members. Arrangements or rules that apply to and between BDO Network Members do not create agency or partnership relationships between the BDO Network Members and no such relationships are implied thereby.

This privacy notice applies to the Websites and/or to the services provided by BDO Israel only, and does not apply to websites and/or services of BDO provided by BDO Network Members in other locations around the world, unless they explicitly refer to this privacy notice.

Attention: The websites of the BDO Network Members to which links may appear on the Websites are under the responsibility of the relevant BDO Network Members or of the related companies that manage such websites, and are not the responsibility of BDO Israel. Furthermore, the privacy notice specified in this document does not apply to other websites linked to this Websites. We ask that users read the privacy policies of such sites prior to entering any data.

What Personal Data do we collect, and for what purposes?

Private clients

We may collect Personal Data of private clients that is required in order to provide professional services to such clients, including personal details, contact information, data about income, and data regarding family members, as well as “sensitive information,” as defined in the Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981 (the “Law”), such as information about their economic position.

We shall collect Personal Data directly from our private clients, as well as from other sources, according to the instructions given to us by our clients, such as banks or the National Insurance Institute, and we shall process such Personal Data, with the client’s consent, or otherwise as required under law or regulations.

We may use Personal Data of private clients for the following purposes:

Providing professional services – BDO Israel provides various services to private clients, such as the preparation of individual tax statements, declarations of capital, trust services, etc. We may need to process Personal Data in order to render these services and/or provide consulting or deliverables to our clients.

Managing and developing our business – We process Personal Data to manage our relationships with clients, develop our business and services, maintain and develop our information-technology systems, manage and host events, and manage the Websites (as defined above) and our systems and applications.

Managing quality and risks – We may use Personal Data to conduct background checks before we agree to accept a person as a client, by processing Personal Data that may be received from publicly available sources (such as sanctions lists, databases of criminal convictions, and general internet searches).

Marketing – Unless the relevant people have chosen not to consent thereto (or, when required under the applicable law, subject to their consent), we may use their contact information to send messages about products and services that we think may interest them.

Corporate clients (and people associated with corporate clients)

In the course of the provision of professional services to our corporate clients, we collect contact information and the names of employees who act on behalf of these clients, as well as names, identification numbers, contact information, and payroll data of the corporate client's employees, shareholders, and officers required in order to render our professional services.

Personal Data may be received directly from the Data Subjects (for example, in their role as the contact person for our client), or through the corporate client itself when it provides us with Personal Data regarding its employees, shareholders, and officers for the purpose of the provision of our services. When our corporate clients contract with us, they confirm that they have received all required approvals (inasmuch as required) and have obtained the consent of the Data Subjects to provide the data to BDO Israel, and for us to process the data, in accordance with this privacy notice. In addition, our corporate clients are responsible for the completeness and correctness of the Personal Data submitted to us for the purpose of the provision of the services.

We may use Personal Data of corporate clients for the following purposes:

Providing professional services – BDO Israel provides various services to its corporate clients, such as auditing services, tax consulting, accountancy and payroll management, cybersecurity, managed detection and response (MDR) services, business, digital and economic consulting, etc. We must process Personal Data in order to render these services and/or provide consulting or deliverables to our corporate clients.

Managing quality and risks – We may use Personal Data to conduct background checks before we agree to accept a corporate entity as a client, by processing Personal Data that may be received from publicly available sources (such as sanctions lists, databases of criminal convictions, and general internet searches).

Subcontractors (and people associated with subcontractors)

We may process Personal Data of our subcontractors (e.g. in the case of a subcontractor who is self-employed) and of their employees, to the extent required in order to manage our relationship with them and to receive services and products from our subcontractors, as well as to allow services to be provided to our clients. Such Personal Data may include names, contact information, and banking information.

Personal Data may be received directly from the Data Subjects (e.g. in the case of self-employed people) or from subcontractors (e.g. if they provide data regarding their employees who serve as contact persons for us).

Websites’ users

Throughout the use of the Websites such as browsing, filling out contact forms or other online forms, applying for a position at BDO Israel through the Websites, we shall collect from the Websites’ users (“User/s”) and process the Personal Data we require in order to enable such uses, including without limitation contact the users upon their request or process the User’s request or job application. If the User does not submit the data required for such purpose, the provision of the services or our ability to process the User’s request or job application may be impaired.

Data collected from Websites’ Users

Contact information and personal details such as identification number, full name, position, email address, employer's name, and telephone number.
Details regarding the User’s query; relevant fields of interest pertaining to professional services provided by BDO or BDO Israel.
Details regarding prior education and work history.

Technical data – Each time a User visits the Websites, we may collect technical data such as an IP address, specifics regarding pages visited by the User on the Websites and on the internet, and data regarding the type of browser used by the User.

The Websites collects standard data, as mentioned above, and technical data, in order to evaluate and assess the efficiency of the Websites, diagnose problems on our server, manage the Websites, identify the sources of browser traffic to the Websites, and identify our Users. We may also collect additional data, such as data regarding Websites use and browsing habits. To collect this data, we use cookies (“Cookies”). Additional information regarding the use of Cookies is available in the section entitled “Use of Cookies,” as described below.

When do we collect Personal Data on the Websites?

We collect Personal Data when the User:

Registers to receive a newsletter;
Leaves information to enable us to contact the User;
Browses the Websites (through Cookies);
Applies for a position at BDO Israel through the Websites; and
Signs up for an event or requests a download of professional materials posted on the Websites.

Users are not obligated to submit the Personal Data to us, despite the data being necessary for us to provide the services and/or process the requests; however if the User chooses not to provide the requested information, we may not be able to complete the purpose for which the Personal Data was requested. We may ask for supplementary information that we need in order to appropriately respond to the User’s request. Whenever there is an option on the Webistes to provide us with additional information through “free text” fields, Users are requested to refrain from providing us with any Personal Data.

How do we use the Personal Data collected through the Websites?

We use the Personal Data for the following purposes:

To identify Users and verify their identity when they contact us;
To contact Users regarding our services and at their request;
To deliver newsletters to Users based on their selected interests;
To send reminders of events for which Users have registered, identify participants at in-person or virtual events, and send summaries of past events;
To improve and personalize our services by analyzing data about the User’s use of the Websites; and
To process job applications submitted by candidates through the Websites.

Potential clients

BDO Israel collects data from contact persons of potential clients through forms filled out on the Websites, or on landing pages in campaigns on search engines or social media and business networks, or by receiving data personally from the Data Subjects, via business cards provided during in-person meetings and conferences.

Such Personal Data regarding contact persons of potential clients is sometimes provided to BDO Israel by third parties – partners whose events BDO Israel sponsors, or with which it holds shared events (online or in person), and who provide information to BDO about the participants (subject to registrees’ consent).

Data collected regarding contact persons of potential clients

Contact information and personal details such as full name, position, email address, employer's name, and telephone number.
Details regarding the User’s query; relevant fields of interest pertaining to professional services provided by BDO or BDO Israel.
Technical data – Technical data such as an IP address, how the User reached the landing page or form, the relevant campaign that directed the User to the form, details regarding pages of the Websites visited by the User, and data regarding the type of browser used by the User.

The Websites collects standard data, as noted above, and technical data, in order to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of BDO Israel's marketing efforts.

There is no requirement to submit the data to us, despite the data being necessary for us to provide the services and/or process your request. We may ask for supplementary information that we need in order to appropriately respond to the User’s request.

Uses of the Personal Data of contact persons of potential clients

To identify Users and verify their identity when they contact us;
To contact Users regarding the professional services and/or event in which they have expressed interest, and at their request;
To deliver newsletters to Users based on their selected interests;
To send reminders of events for which Users have registered, identify participants at in-person or virtual events, and send summaries of past events;
To improve and personalize our services by analyzing data about the User’s use of the Websites;
To analyze and optimize our marketing efforts and campaigns.

Also see the following section concerning webinar participants for specific information regarding potential clients who participate in webinars of BDO Israel.

Webinar participants

As part of its activity, BDO Israel holds webinars for its clients and/or potential clients and others interested in participating. Participants register either through the Websites or through landing pages of campaigns on search engines and in social media and professional networks.

The data we collect from webinar participants

To participate in and register for webinars organized by BDO Israel, the Data Subjects are asked to enter (either on the Websites or on other landing pages) their full name, position, email address, employer’s name, and telephone number.

Webinars are recorded; including webinar participants who are recorded in video and audio.

Uses of the data we collect from webinar participants

As noted, we use this data for the following purposes:

To identify Users before they join the webinar and display their names to the other Users;
To analyze and optimize our marketing efforts;
To analyze and optimize the webinars we offer and their content;
To contact webinar participants, subject to their consent, regarding products and services in their areas of interest through the various means of contact they have provided.

Webinar recordings are uploaded to BDO Israel's YouTube channel, posted on the Websites, and sent to our relevant mailing lists, according to areas of interest.

The content of questions asked in the webinar chat is visible to all participants and is saved.

See also the section concerning potential clients.

Video calls participants

For the provision of its services BDO Israel may use various third-party platforms in order to conduct on-line meetings (such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom). Such tools may have different capabilities with respect to recordings and transcription of such on-line meetings We may be using those capabilities, subject to our internal policies, and in such case, we may be saving video recordings, audio recordings, and transcripts of such meetings.

You will be notified prior to the beginning of the video call if a call is being recorded and/or if transcript will be activated during a call. Participants who may wish not to be recorded may request ceasing the recording or leave such meetings.

We invite you to explore the various means each platform offers its users in order to modify privacy settings, for example, appear unidentified in a meeting transcript.

The data we collect from video call participants

To participate in a video call, the Data Subjects are asked to enter their name. The participants’ names and contact details you chose to share on the specific platform may be also visible to us. The content of the call, including meetings and conversations chats, shared files, recordings and transcriptions.

Uses of the data we collect from video call participants

We use the data for the following purposes:

To identify individuals before they join the call; and thus ensure that only authorized or invited participants attend
To keep record of the call and its content for the provision of professional services as well as for internal compliance and assessments.

Job candidates

Candidates for positions at BDO Israel can submit their résumés for job openings posted on the Websites.

The data we collect from job candidates

Data regarding Users who choose to apply for positions at BDO Israel through the Websites includes full name, identification number, résumé, academic transcript, and psychometric test results. Later in the process of examining the candidacy, additional information may be required with regard to education, professional experience, skills, and character traits.

Uses of the data we collect from job candidates

The data is used by BDO Israel to examine the suitability of the candidate for the open positions at the firm, document screening and recruiting process, manage screening and recruiting process, and manage BDO Israel's relationship with the placement agencies with which it works. We also use the data to contact the candidates, in order to request additional information, hold a preliminary interview by telephone, or schedule an interview and/or screening process.

Candidates may be asked to take part in screening process at testing and screening providers; in such cases, we may transfer some of the data to the relevant providers. Notifications regarding the rights of candidates in relation to the data accumulated about them during screening process at the providers will be provided separately to relevant candidates.

Additional purposes of processing

In addition to the uses and purposes noted above, we may use Personal Data of a Data Subject for the following purposes: [1] in any case of dispute or litigation of any kind between the Data Subjects and/or our clients and/or our contractors or our service providers and BDO Israel; [2] to enforce the Terms and Conditions (as defined above), including in the course of investigating possible breaches of the Terms and Conditions or in cases in which BDO has reasonable grounds to believe that the Data Subject or the client, contractor, or service provider of BDO Israel has breached the Terms and Conditions, or has committed an act or omission that BDO has reasonable grounds to believe is in violation of any relevant law, rules, or regulations. BDO Israel may share the Personal Data of a Data Subject, in such cases, with law-enforcement agencies and other authorized agencies, and with any third party, as required to cope with any outcome of the act or civil tort committed by the User; [3] to identify, prevent, or otherwise cope with fraud or security problems or technical problems, in order to avert bodily harm or property damage to others; [4] to defend the rights, property, or personal safety of BDO Israel and its employees or other staff, its Data Subjects, or the general public; [5] in accordance with any purpose described in this privacy notice or in the relevant Terms and Conditions.

Use of Cookies

As part of the routine operation of the Websites, BDO Israel uses “Cookies” – text files stored on the User’s browser which are used, including without limitation, to verify details, match content to the User’s preferences, and gather statistical data. Some Cookies are deleted immediately when the User closes the browser, while others are stored until they expire or until they are deleted by the User. BDO Israel may use the following types of Cookies: (1) necessary Cookies, required to load the Websites or to enable the User to use certain services offered by the Websites; (2) analytical Cookies, designed to track the way Users use the Websites, to enable us to improve the Websites and the services provided therein; (3) preference Cookies, which store the User’s personal settings pertaining to the Websites; and (4) marketing Cookies, used to create personalized advertising for Users and evaluate the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

Users may also remove the Cookies from their browser at any time, or establish settings such that their browser disables Cookies. However, BDO Israel does not undertake that such actions will not impede normal browsing on the Websites, and may block access and/or decline to provide service in cases where such actions are taken.

Rights of Data Subjects

You may have all or part of the following rights, depending on your location and the circumstances of processing of your specific Personal Data.

When the information we process is received directly from the Data Subject, the Data Subject is responsible for ensuring that all of the Personal Data provided to BDO Israel is correct.

Data Subjects in Israel

Pursuant to the applicable law, Israeli Data Subjects have the right to ask to review or rectify their Personal Data stored by BDO Israel. In addition, Data Subjects are entitled to request, in writing, that their Personal Data used for the purpose of direct marketing be erased from the database. Users can exercise these rights by contacting BDO Israel at bdo@bdo.co.il. It is clarified that a User’s request not to receive marketing materials from us shall not derogate from our right to continue to contact the User via email or other means with regard to the subject of the contract between us, as long as it exists, or based on any other legitimate business interest.

Data Subjects based in the European Economic Area

Right to access – You have the right to request copies of your Personal Data from BDO Israel, including the right to receive confirmation that Personal Data regarding you is or is not processed, and if such Personal Data is processed, to receive access to the Personal Data and to the purposes of the processing; the types of Personal Data involved; the recipients or types of recipients to which the Personal Data has been or will be provided; when possible, the predicted period for which the Personal Data will be stored; the existence of the right to request rectification or erasure of the Personal Data or restrict processing of the data or object to such processing; the right to file a complaint with a supervisory agency; when the Personal Data is not collected from the Data Subject, any available information regarding the source thereof; the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling; the appropriate means of protection pertaining to the transfer of your Personal Data outside the European Economic Area. We may charge you a small fee for this service, under certain conditions.
Right to rectification – You have the right to ask BDO Israel to rectify any information that you believe to be inaccurate. In addition, you have the right to ask BDO Israel to complete information that you believe to be incomplete.
Right to erasure – You have the right to ask BDO Israel to erase your Personal Data, under certain conditions.
Right to restrict processing – You have the right to ask BDO Israel to restrict the processing of your Personal Data, when: (a) you believe that your Personal Data is inaccurate, for a period that allows BDO Israel to verify the accuracy of the aforesaid information; (b) you believe that Personal Data has been processed unlawfully, and you wish to restrict the processing thereof instead of erasing it; (c) BDO Israel no longer needs the Personal Data, but you demand that it be retained in order to prove, realize, or defend against a legal claim; or (d) you have exercised your right to object to processing (below) for a period that allows BDO Israel to examine whether your legitimate cause prevails over that of BDO Israel.
Right to object to processing – You have the right to object to the processing of your Personal Data at any time; this means that you have the right to stop the processing of your Personal Data by BDO Israel or to prevent such processing (and this right may refer to all or part of your Personal Data, and to all or part of the purposes of the processing). When the right refers to processing for marketing purposes, you have the absolute right to object, whereas for other purposes, the right depends on the question of the legal basis on which the processing relies.
Right to data portability – You have the right to ask BDO Israel to transfer the information we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
If permitted under the applicable law, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time when BDO Israel processes your Personal Data based on your consent to any of these rights. However, the withdrawal of your consent does not affect the legitimacy or effectiveness of the way we process your Personal Data based on your consent prior to such withdrawal, and does not affect any processing of data based on legal grounds other than your consent.

Data Subjects based in other locations

Depending on the Data Subject's location and the law applicable thereto, the Data Subject may be entitled to part or all of the rights described above.

You can exercise the rights described above, inasmuch as such rights apply to you, by contacting BDO Israel via email at bdo@bdo.co.il.

We will endeavor to respond to your request within the relevant period of time specified in the applicable law. Although we will make reasonable efforts to assent to your requests, under certain circumstances we may decide that there is no basis for your request or that it cannot be assented to under the applicable law. In such cases, we reserve the right to refuse your request. As a prerequisite to assenting to any request, we will demand to verify your identity, and we may do so by asking you to provide specific data or specific identification, to ensure protection of the privacy of all of the Data Subjects.

If you believe that the way we process your Personal Data does not comply with the requirements of the applicable law in the area of data protection, you are, of course, welcome to contact us, and we will consider your request; however, in any event, you can contact the relevant authorized data protection agency. You can find the contact information of all data protection authorities in the European Economic Area on the website https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_en.

Transferring Personal Data to third parties

Subject to the following declaration, we shall take reasonable measures to protect the Personal Data and prevent the transfer thereof to unauthorized third parties. BDO Israel does not sell, rent, or lease Personal Data to third parties and shall not share Personal Data with others without the consent of the Data Subject, unless, at its discretion and in good faith, BDO Israel decides that it is necessary for one of the following purposes: [1] transfer to subcontractors – to provide their professional services, BDO Israel is aided by various subcontractors, such as suppliers of cloud services, professional software, customer relationship management platforms, and marketing platforms. The transfer of Personal Data is subject to the third parties’ undertaking to use such Personal Data in a manner consistent with this privacy notice, and shall comply with the information protection agreements signed by BDO Israel with such subcontractors; [2] to comply with the requirements of the law in response to a legal proceeding, disclosure order, or request of a government agency; [3] in addition, BDO Israel is permitted to share Personal Data with BDO Network Members and subsidiaries, sibling companies, and parent companies therein; [4] when BDO Israel has reasonable grounds to believe that the transfer of Personal Data is required in order to prevent damage to Data Subjects or to any other person; [5] in the event of a change in the control of BDO Israel, including by way of merger, acquisition, or acquisition of all or most of its assets, or in the event that BDO Israel has assigned or transferred its activity to a third party, and thus its rights and obligations towards all of the Data Subjects; [7] pursuant to an explicit authorization from the Data Subject, given prior to the disclosure.

For the avoidance of doubt, BDO Israel is permitted, at its absolute discretion, to disclose data that is not Personal Data to third parties.

Retention of information

BDO Israel shall retain the Personal Data about the Data Subjects throughout the term of the contract between BDO Israel and the Data Subjects, BDO’s clients, or its service providers / contractors, as applicable, pursuant to the Terms and Conditions and to BDO Israel's policy. After the expiration of the contract, we shall retain the Personal Data in accordance with our data retention policy, as updated from time to time, for the period required to allow us to maintain business records for the purpose of analysis and/or audit, for the period required pursuant to the applicable law, to defend against or file legal claims, and to handle complaints.

We shall act to erase the Personal Data when it is no longer required for one of the purposes listed above. If, for technical reasons, we are unable to erase all of the Personal Data from our systems, we shall ensure that measures are taken to prevent the processing of such data.

Information security

BDO Israel uses technological and operational security means prevalent in the industry to prevent the loss, unauthorized use, and alteration or erasure of Personal Data.

BDO Israel invests extensive resources and efforts to protect the data it holds, in order to prevent the loss, unauthorized use, and alteration or erasure of Personal Data. We require all of our employees and managers to preserve the confidentiality of Personal Data and restrict access to Personal Data to employees with the appropriate clearance, and we conduct training and maintain an organizational culture of upholding the values of privacy. However, given the high level of cybersecurity threats, in the world in general and in Israel in particular, BDO cannot provide a guarantee or commitment that its databases, including data you provide, shall not be subjected to malicious acts, and that such data shall not come into the possession of an unauthorized third party, despite our efforts; and in such case, BDO shall bear no liability for any damage of any kind, including indirect damage, that you may incur as a result of an information-security event.

International transfers

We may be required to transfer Personal Data of Users outside Israel or the European Economic Area, as relevant. In executing such transfers, we shall take the appropriate measures and use the appropriate means, pursuant to the applicable data protection laws, to safeguard the security of the transferred Personal Data and the protection thereof. Furthermore, BDO Israel is also permitted to collect, hold, and manage Personal Data via cloud services or hosting by a third party, in a reasonable manner and for business purposes, and the data can be stored in other countries, including the United States. When we transfer Personal Data to a country which the relevant authority has not designated as providing an adequate level of protection of personal data, we shall take measures to ensure that the appropriate security means and the appropriate transfer mechanism are used, such as the use of standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission, or the transfer of Personal Data among BDO Network Members in accordance with our Binding Corporate Rules. For additional information about the way we protect Personal Data, Data Subjects can contact us through the contact information listed below.

Amendment of the privacy notice

BDO Israel is permitted and is free to amend (through alteration, erasure, removal, deletion, and addition, including of additional terms) (the “Change”) the privacy notice from time to time, at its exclusive discretion, and shall include therein the date of execution of the Change. Without prejudice to existing transactions, the use of products and/or services through the Websites and/or the acquisition thereof through the Websites after the Change shall be subject to the amended version of the privacy notice.

This privacy notice shall be subject to the laws of the State of Israel. Any dispute arising from the privacy notice shall be adjudicated solely by the court with material jurisdiction in the District of Tel Aviv.

How to contact us or submit a complaint

If you have any questions regarding this privacy notice or the exercise of your rights pursuant to the notice, or complaints concerning our processing of Personal Data, you may contact us via email at bdo@bdo.co.il or through the “Contact Us” page of the Websites.

Date of last update: December 6, 2023

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