The Malaysian Executive has decided this Wednesday to prevent public employees from continuing to use the navigation application Waze, citing security reasons and its links to Israel, amid fears that there could be "misuse" of sensitive information and personal data associated with users.
The Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has ordered all public sector staff to abandon the use of this tool, considering that the "personal data of these officials must be protected against misuse by the Israeli regime, which could compromise national security and sovereignty."
At the same time, he has encouraged citizens to opt for national solutions, such as TuJu, emphasizing that they offer "greater guarantees regarding security and protection of information and personal data," according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's office.
"The Government's stance is firm and we will close any loophole that could be exploited by the Israeli regime to threaten national security and the safety of Malaysians," he stated. He also explained that, in making this decision, the status of Waze as a data processor was evaluated, as it is governed by Israeli legislation due to its corporate structure, despite the fact that the application was acquired by Google in 2013.
The restriction has been in effect since this Wednesday, after receiving the backing of the National Cybersecurity Committee. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister had already indicated that the authorities were analyzing the potential security risks arising from data collection through Waze.