Malaysia bans civil servants from using Waze over security concerns linked to its Israeli origins and recommends a local mapping alternative

Malaysia has barred civil servants from using Waze over potential security risks linked to the app’s Israeli origins, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced Tuesday. The government recommended TuJu, a mapping app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, as an alternative.

Anwar said the government was examining risks associated with Waze, which he said “was bound to Israeli laws.” “We cannot compromise on the security of people’s data and identities,” he said.

The ban took effect immediately under a government directive issued after a national cybersecurity committee meeting chaired by Anwar. Waze was founded in Israel before Google acquired it in 2013 for approximately $1 billion.