Malaysia may impose a full Waze ban for all users if alternative navigation apps are available, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Friday, citing security concerns, The Straits Times reported.
That would go beyond the existing directive for civil servants, which applies to Waze use during official work. Personal use is outside the directive’s stated scope, according to EconoTimes’ earlier report on the restriction.
Anwar urged Malaysians to use navigation apps based in the country, including TuJu. He said TuJu was not fully developed and that users might have to accept less capable local alternatives for now.
Anwar cited Waze’s Israeli base and service terms as security concerns. He also asserted that the app automatically sends information to Israel. Waze’s terms select Israeli law and courts in Tel Aviv district for service disputes, but that provision does not establish that Israeli authorities obtained user data. Malaysia’s National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) says its assessment found no evidence supporting the movement-analysis concern officials raised.
