Malaysia Bans Civil Servants From Using Waze Over Israeli Data-Law Links

Malaysia Bans Civil Servants From Using Waze Over Israeli Data-Law Links

Civil servants barred from Waze with immediate effect

Malaysia has barred all civil servants from using the navigation app Waze for official duties, effective immediately. The decision was taken at the third 2026 meeting of the National Cyber Security Committee (JKSN), chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar wrote to secretaries-general and department heads directing them to notify their officers, including those in related agencies. Waze is owned by Google LLC, which acquired it in 2013, but Waze Mobile Ltd operates as data controller under Israeli law.

Official stance: data controller bound by Israeli law

The Prime Minister's Office said Waze Mobile Ltd, registered and operating under Israeli law as data controller, meant government information and citizens' personal data could be exploited by the Israeli regime in ways that compromise national security and sovereignty. In a Tuesday Facebook post, Anwar said Waze "was bound to Israeli laws" and urged Malaysians to uninstall Waze and switch to local alternatives such as TuJu, citing security assurances and personal data protection. The statement added that the MADANI government's stance is firm and will close any gap usable by the Israeli regime to threaten the country's security and people.

Why: Malaysia has no diplomatic ties with Israel

Malaysia is a longstanding and vocal critic of Israel and maintains no diplomatic relations with it. The Waze restriction adds a digital security dimension to that policy. The government said sensitive government information and the people's personal data must be protected from exploitation by the Israeli regime. Anwar did not provide specific risk details but recommended TuJu, a domestic mapping app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), as an alternative.

Who is affected: civil servants only, not the public

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo clarified that the government did not require the public to use TuJu as the sole alternative. The restriction applies only to civil servants carrying out official duties and does not extend to the public; other navigation apps, including Google Maps, can still be used. TuJu was developed by LLM in collaboration with Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd and launched by Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi last November; it offers route information, real-time traffic updates and emergency assistance, and was launched in 2025.

What comes next: GovTech to work with TuJu and Pintaz

GovTech will work with TuJu and Pintaz to improve navigation services. The government continues to urge Malaysians to uninstall Waze but has stopped short of a blanket ban. The Prime Minister's Office said the JKSN decision would be implemented immediately across all ministries and related agencies and departments. Waze responded in a statement, calling the claims that it collected sensitive government information or allowed any entity to exploit personal user data "completely false," adding that the company operates under strict privacy policies complying with global data protection standards.