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's Communications Minister, Mustafa Sanad, announced plans to ban the popular Waze navigation app from next year due to its Israeli origins. Waze, known for its real-time crowd-sourced traffic updates, was developed in Israel in 2008 before being acquired by Google in 2013 for approximately $1 billion. Despite being widely used in Iraq, the minister claims alternatives such as Google Maps are available.
Sanad attributed the ban to a recent wave of online mockery, linking it to the war in Gaza. He stated that the app assists in "scanning Gaza and provides the company with money and information". The decision follows calls from Iran-aligned politicians and groups in Iraq to boycott Israeli-linked products since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
Despite the ban, alternatives like Google Maps, owned by the same parent company, are still accessible. The minister's announcement sparked mixed reactions with many mocking the decision on social media, highlighting the complexity of the issue.
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