Malaysia Bans Waze for Government Employees Over Israeli Ties
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Malaysia has banned government employees from using the Waze navigation app due to security concerns related to its Israeli origin. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim cited data protection and adherence to Israeli law as reasons for the immediate ban. He recommended the local TuJu app as an alternative. Waze has denied accusations of data misuse, stating compliance with privacy standards.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Malaysia banned government employees from using the Waze navigation app immediately.
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim cited security concerns over Waze's Israeli origin.
- The government stated Waze adheres to Israeli law, raising data protection risks.
- The local TuJu mapping app was recommended as an alternative.
- Waze denied collecting sensitive government information or misusing user data.
Malaysian authorities have prohibited government employees from using the Waze navigation app due to security concerns stemming from its Israeli origin. The ban, effective immediately, was announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim following a national cybersecurity committee meeting. Ibrahim stated on Facebook that the government cannot compromise on protecting citizens' data and personal information. Earlier, he indicated that authorities were examining potential risks associated with Waze, citing its adherence to Israeli law, though he did not specify the nature of these risks. The Prime Minister recommended using the local mapping application TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, as an alternative.
The directive was communicated through a letter from the Chief Secretary to the Government, distributed to heads of government departments. Waze, originally founded in Israel in 2006 as FreeMap and later renamed, was acquired by Google in 2013 and currently boasts over 200 million monthly users. In response to the ban, Waze denied allegations of collecting sensitive government information or misusing user data, asserting its adherence to strict privacy policies and international data protection standards.
