Could Waze data expose Malaysia’s sensitive sites? Experts explain the risks
PETALING JAYA: Location data collected by navigation app Waze could expose military movements, critical infrastructure and routines of senior government officials to foreign intelligence agencies, said cybersecurity and geopolitical experts.
Universiti Utara Malaysia geopolitical and defence analyst Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Faisol Keling said location data could reveal strategic sites, logistical routes and movement patterns involving security personnel.
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“Furthermore, travel patterns are exposed, revealing details such as timing, home and workplace locations, and frequently visited areas,” he added.
He said the aggregation of such information could allow foreign intelligence agencies to build detailed geographical profiles and identify potentially sensitive national security activities.
“Israel could effectively build geographic profiles of drivers. When such data is aggregated on a mass scale, it could reveal logistical patterns, including the movements of government officials or security personnel.”
He also said the data could expose supply routes, logistics hubs, power plants, data centres and defence installations, potentially allowing hostile actors to identify vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.
The concerns follow Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s disclosure that the National Cyber Security Committee had examined potential risks involving personal information and movement data of Malaysians through Waze, which is subject to Israeli laws.
International Islamic University Malaysia international relations expert Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Yazid Zul Kepli said Malaysia had legitimate grounds to scrutinise Israeli-linked technology platforms, given Israel’s intelligence and surveillance capabilities.
“Location information could be strategically valuable. If accessed or analysed by foreign intelligence agencies, it could reveal the movements of senior government officials, identify sensitive locations, establish patterns around military installations and critical infrastructure, and potentially expose national security vulnerabilities.”
However, he cautioned against treating the possibility of intelligence exploitation as evidence that such activities are already taking place.
He urged the government to adopt a precautionary approach, particularly for defence personnel, government officials and operators of critical infrastructure.
International Islamic University Malaysia Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws senior lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Mahyuddin Daud emphasised that a major location-data breach could have consequences beyond ordinary privacy violations.
“It could expose security personnel to targeting or coercion and reveal sensitive locations. It would also show that Malaysia cannot check how data about its own people is handled,” he stressed.
He said preventive safeguards are crucial as identifying those responsible for foreign intelligence operations and securing legal remedies after a breach could prove difficult.