Iraq to ban Waze navigation app over Israeli links
Iraq has announced it will ban the navigation app Waze from next year because it was developed in Israel . Speaking to journalists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad said Waze is widely used in Iraq but that alternatives are available. Asked what was behind the move, he said: “The reason is because it is made in Israel, therefore we will ban it at the beginning…
Iraq has decided to ban the popular navigation app Waze from early 2027 due to its Israeli origins, according to Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad. In an interview with reporters in Iraqi Kurdistan, Sanad stated that while Waze is commonly used in Iraq, there are alternative options available such as Google Maps. The ban comes after a surge of online mockery, prompting the minister to bring the measure forward from the following year to the end of 2023.
Waze, founded in Israel in 2008 and later acquired by Google in 2013 for approximately $1 billion, is one of the most widely used navigation apps in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, providing drivers with real-time traffic updates. Sanad defended the decision on his Facebook page, connecting it to the war in Gaza and accusing the app of aiding in monitoring Gaza and generating revenue for its Israeli creators.
The ban is expected to be enforced through blocking Waze servers or removing it from app stores in Iraq. Comments on Sanad's Facebook post were mixed, with many mocking the decision and questioning why Google Maps, owned by Google, was not suggested as an alternative.
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