PETALING JAYA: Waze has rejected claims that it collects sensitive government information or allows any party to exploit users' personal data after Malaysia barred civil servants from using the app on official duty.
A company spokesman told FMT in an emailed statement that the claims were "completely false".
"Waze operates under strict privacy policies that protect user data and comply with global legal data protection standards," the spokesman said.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ordered the ban on Waze for civil servants while on official duty over security concerns linked to the app being subject to Israeli laws.
There is no ban on the public using Waze, although Anwar urged Malaysians to switch to local alternatives such as TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority and Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd.
Anwar said the ban was intended "to protect government information and users' personal data from the threat of misuse by the Israeli regime".
Google parent Alphabet acquired Waze in June 2013 for about US$1.15 billion. The app was founded in Israel in 2008 by three Israeli entrepreneurs.
Earlier today, National Security Council director-general Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin warned that information collected by Waze, including users' locations and travel movements, could be used to establish their daily routines.
For civil servants, he said that this could be a highly sensitive issue.