Yeo Bee Yin: Consult experts before deciding on nationwide Waze ban

The Malaysian government has banned civil servants from using the navigation app Waze due to security concerns and is urging the public to switch to the local app TuJu. However, a technology lawyer has called for the government to reveal how TuJu protects user location data and provide evidence that the app is secure. Foong Cheng Leong highlighted that while TuJu's privacy policy claims data is anonymised and aggregated, users should know exactly what information is shared, where it's stored, and who has access to it.

The Personal Data Protection Act 2010 requires companies to safeguard personal information and set rules for sending it overseas. Yet, enforcing these laws against foreign companies could be challenging, especially if data is stored overseas, and the PDPA may not prevent foreign governments from accessing it under their own laws.

Universiti Sains Malaysia's cybersecurity research centre chief, M Selvakumar, also emphasized the need for the government to disclose the tests conducted on TuJu to prove its security. He stressed that concerns extend beyond hackers breaking into the app to include who can access personal data and track movements. TuJu, launched in November 2025, is developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority and Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd, using Google mapping data and technology supported by Maybank.

Despite these assurances, the app has faced criticism for inaccurate route guidance, glitches, and a lack of real-time traffic information. The government's decision to prohibit civil servants from using Waze while encouraging the public to switch to TuJu stems from security concerns over Waze's Israeli origins.