Govt bans civil servants from using Israel-linked Waze, Anwar promotes local navigation app

 

Putrajaya has banned its civil servants from using Israel-based navigation app Waze, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim promoting the government’s own version of a wayfinding software.

The prohibition against the popular navigation app is believed to be linked to the Google subsidiary’s Israeli roots, which Anwar said presents movement data and information security risks as the app is “bound under the laws of the Israeli government”.

Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar detailed the new rule for civil servants in a letter dated yesterday, sighted by Malaysiakini.

The letter noted that the directive came after the prime minister chaired a National Cybersecurity Committee Meeting on the same day, where the decision was made immediately.

The document added that the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) under the National Security Council of the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD) is the coordinating agency for the directive’s implementation.

Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar

Taking to Facebook last night, Anwar affirmed that the government will not compromise on the security of the rakyat’s data and encouraged the use of TuJu, a local route planner developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).

In a statement today, the PMD advised Malaysians to stop using Waze and switch to local alternative options.

The National Security Council under the PMD similarly advocated for civil servants and Malaysians to utilise TuJu or other suitable apps.

Launched in November last year by the LLM in partnership with Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd, TuJu provides access to live traffic reports from LLM’s traffic management centre, with users also able to access real-time highway CCTV feeds.

TuJu's use among the public thus far, however, has been minimal, with the app garnering a 2.6 rating on the Apple Store and a 2.5 score on Google Playstore.

Malaysiakini has contacted Waze for comments.

In the frequently asked questions (FAQ) guide issued by Nacsa later, the agency clarified that the ban applies only to civil servants while on official duty, but still encouraged them to uninstall Waze and switch to a suitable local navigation app.

Below is the FAQ on the ban.

Waze’s link to Israel is generally known among Malaysians. In 2024, users worldwide, including those in Malaysia, reported a glitch in Waze, where its display language suddenly turned to Hebrew.

The TuJu navigation app

The incident saw several users taking to social media to share their concerns, with some opting to uninstall the app.

Calls for nationwide ban

On Oct 7, Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil called for the government to consider banning Waze in the nation, following a scrutiny of the app’s terms of use updated on July 8.

In a statement, Siraj said the latest terms state that Waze services are provided and supplied by Waze Mobile Ltd, a company incorporated and operating under the laws of Israel, with its address in Tel Aviv.

He noted that while Waze was acquired by Google in 2013, the app’s latest terms of use and privacy policy still name the Israel-based company as the party responsible for its service and user data.

Waze’s privacy policy lets it collect users’ locations, routes, destinations, search histories, and device details - depending on their settings.

Al Jazeera previously reported that such data, when collected across many users over time, have security value as they can reveal movement patterns, peak times, and unusual changes.

Earlier this month, it was also reported that Iraq is set to ban Waze by the end of the year, citing the app’s Israeli links, while some referenced the app’s use to avoid checkpoints.

Iraq’s Communication Ministry has since said Waze would be replaced by a yet-to-be-named Iraqi app as a national alternative. - Mkini