Malaysia bans government employees from using Waze app due to its Israeli ties
Malaysia bans Waze app for government employees due to its Israeli origins
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Malaysia has banned government employees from using the Waze navigation app, owned by Alphabet, after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that the app’s Israeli origins raised security concerns.
Anwar said yesterday that the government was examining the potential security risks associated with using Waze, which he described as “subject to Israeli laws.”
In a Facebook post following a meeting he chaired of the National Cyber Security Committee, he added, “We cannot be lax when it comes to the security of people’s data and identities.”
Anwar did not provide details about these risks but recommended using ToGo, a local mapping app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, as an alternative.
Malaysia’s Chief Secretary to the Government, Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, stated in a message dated Tuesday addressed to heads of government institutions that all civil servants are henceforth prohibited from using Waze.
The message, seen by Reuters, indicated that the directive followed a decision made at the meeting chaired by Anwar, and that the ban would take immediate effect.
Waze, founded in Israel, uses satellite signals and crowd-sourced data collected by drivers to provide real-time traffic information. Google, owned by Alphabet, acquired the app in 2013 for approximately $1 billion.
