Waze restrictions due to Israeli legal jurisdiction - Nacsa
CYBERJAYA: The government’s decision to ban Waze use for civil servants while allowing Google Maps comes down to the legal jurisdiction each platform falls under.
The Malaysian government has decided to restrict the use of Waze navigation app for civil servants, while allowing Google Maps. This decision is grounded in the legal jurisdiction under which each platform operates, according to National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) chief executive officer Dr Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin.
The primary reason for this distinction lies in the fact that Waze is subject to the laws of a country Malaysia does not recognize - Israel. Furthermore, there is a risk that these foreign laws could potentially be used in ways that could threaten national security.
Despite the fact that Waze is built on the same Google Maps platform as other navigation services, Dr Megat Zuhairy explained that Waze remains bound by Israeli law, while Google Maps is governed by US law. This difference in legal frameworks led to the government's decision to ban Waze specifically.
The announcement came in response to queries about why Waze was singled out among other navigation services that also utilize Google Maps. Present at the press conference were various officials, including National Security Council director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
