Malaysia may broaden its Waze restrictions beyond the civil service, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. A full ban could be considered once viable alternatives are available.

The current restriction applies to civil servants using the app for official duties. Anwar cited security and data concerns over Waze’s ties to Israel.

Waze, a navigation app founded in Israel and acquired by Google in 2013, said claims that it collects sensitive government information or enables misuse of personal data are false.

Its privacy policy says it collects location data for navigation and traffic services.

Anwar has encouraged users to consider TuJu, a navigation app operated by the Malaysian Highway Authority. The authority apologized for disruptions after a surge in users and said it expects stable navigation services within two weeks.

TuJu is available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Malaysia’s digital minister said the app is being expanded beyond highways to cover ordinary roads.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg