Malaysia bans civil servants from using navigation app Waze, citing data risks over Israeli links

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The Malaysian government has prohibited civil servants from using the navigation app Waze, raising data security concerns over its Israeli connections. The ban comes from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's office, which highlighted that Waze Mobile Limited is a data controller based in Israel and operates under Israeli law.

"Protecting sensitive government data and citizens' personal information is vital, preventing exploitation by the Israeli regime that could jeopardize national security and sovereignty," the statement emphasized. Anwar called on all Malaysians to abandon Waze and opt for local alternatives with stronger security measures and data protection, like TuJu.

Malaysia, predominantly Muslim and a staunch supporter of Palestinian statehood with no diplomatic or economic ties to Israel, has taken this digital measure to safeguard the nation's security.