Malaysia’s government has urged users of the navigation app Waze to uninstall the platform amid concerns that personal and movement data could fall under Israeli jurisdiction.
Malaysia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and has consistently supported Palestinian rights, has also encouraged motorists to switch to TuJu, a locally developed navigation app, as an alternative.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ordered a ban on civil servants using Waze for official duties, citing the need “to protect government information and users' personal data from the threat of misuse by the Israeli regime,” his office said in a statement.
The restriction applies to civil servants using the app for official purposes, amid warnings that location data collected through the platform could be misused and pose risks to personal and national security.
However, Malaysia’s National Security Council director-general for National Security, Raja Datuk Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, stressed that the government had stopped short of imposing a blanket ban, seeking to balance security concerns with fundamental rights, freedom of expression and individual choice.
“We always need to strike a balance between security and human rights consideration and freedom of expression, freedom to choose,” Nushirwan said during a press briefing.
He added that the concerns extended beyond technology to the legal framework governing the collection and use of personal data.
Nushirwan pointed to Waze Mobile Ltd’s terms of use, which reportedly stipulate that the agreement is governed by Israeli law.
On Thursday, Waze rejected Malaysia’s claims, saying allegations that the platform collected sensitive information or allowed any entity to exploit users’ personal data were entirely false.
“Waze operates under strict privacy policies that protect user data and comply with global legal data protection standards,” a company spokesperson said.
Founded in Israel, Waze uses satellite signals and crowdsourced data from drivers to provide real-time traffic information.
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, acquired the platform in 2013.
The latest developments follow Iraq’s announcement earlier this month that it would ban Waze from next year because the app was developed in Israel.
Iraq, like Malaysia, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
Malaysia has consistently opposed normalisation with Israel and has previously restricted engagement with companies perceived to support the Israeli government.
Amid the genocide in Gaza and ongoing Israeli military operations and settler violence in the occupied West Bank, Kuala Lumpur has continued to advocate for Palestinian statehood and criticise Israeli policies.