Waze rejects Malaysia’s data security claims after civil servant ban
Waze rejects Malaysia's data security claims after civil servants banned over Israeli links, citing no evidence of misuse.
KUALA LUMPUR – Navigation app Waze rejected Malaysia’s allegations on Oct 23 that it allowed the exploitation of users’ personal data, after the country banned civil servants from using it over its Israeli links.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the ban on Oct 21 to “safeguard government information and users’ personal data against the threat of misuse by the Israeli regime”.
Muslim-majority Malaysia is a longstanding and vocal critic of Israel and maintains no diplomatic relations with it.
Waze, owned by Google, was founded in Israel and remains incorporated there.
“Claims that Waze collects sensitive government information or allows any entity to exploit personal user data are completely false,” a Waze spokesperson told AFP in a statement.
“Waze operates under strict privacy policies that protect user data and comply with global legal data protection standards,” the statement read.
Malaysia’s Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo told Parliament on Oct 22 that the ban applied only to civil servants carrying out official duties.
He cited data security and legal concerns for the move, as “user data falls under Israeli jurisdiction”.
The government did not provide further details on the reason for the ban, or how it would be enforced or monitored.
But Malaysia’s National Security Council warned on Oct 22 that civil servants who defy the immediate ban “could face disciplinary action”.
Anwar suggested on Oct 21 that users of Waze – which uses driver data to provide real-time traffic information – switch to platforms such as TuJu, a locally developed Malaysian road navigation app.
Waze is widely used in Malaysia, including as a back-up navigation aid by drivers for its Grab online cab-hailing service.
Many Malaysians complained that the TuJu app was “ineffective and should not be made a compulsory replacement for Waze”, former finance minister and MP Lim Guan Eng said. AFP
Source: The Straits Times https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/waze-rejects-malaysias-data-security-claims-after-civil-servant-ban
