Malaysia Bans State Employees From Using Waze Over Israeli Origins
Malaysia banned state employees from using the Waze navigation app due to security concerns over its Israeli origins, directing staff to local alternatives.
Malaysia Bans Waze for State Employees
Malaysia has officially banned government employees from using the Waze navigation application, citing security concerns raised by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding its Israeli origins. According to Reuters reports, the ban took effect immediately following a high-level meeting.
"We cannot compromise on the security of the public's data and identities," Ibrahim wrote in a Facebook post after chairing a national cybersecurity committee meeting. The government began reviewing potential security risks tied to the application, noting its historical ties and current administrative framework.
Push for Local Alternatives
While the prime minister did not specify the exact technical risks, he strongly recommended using the local mapping application TuJu, which was developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority.
We cannot compromise on the security of the public's data and identities, stated Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Malaysia, a majority-Muslim nation, maintains no diplomatic ties with Israel and has consistently voiced strong support for the Palestinian cause. Similar regulatory actions are emerging elsewhere; Iraq's communications minister recently announced plans to restrict the app by early 2027 due to its Israeli roots.
Origins and Global Usage
Originally founded and developed in Israel as FreeMap in 2006 before rebranding to Waze in 2008, the company maintained its headquarters in Ra'anana until Google acquired it in 2013 for roughly $1 billion. Today, its operations are integrated into Google's offices in Tel-Aviv.
Unlike traditional mapping services like Google Maps and Apple Maps, Waze relies heavily on crowdsourced data from active users reporting real-time traffic and road incidents. Despite growing security scrutiny in select countries, the platform currently retains over 200 million monthly active users worldwide.
