Malaysia has banned government employees from using the Waze navigation app developed in Israel, citing national security concerns about its Israeli origins and the possibility that Israeli authorities could access users' location data. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the immediate restriction on October 21, urging Malaysians to abandon Waze and switch to locally developed alternatives, particularly TuJu. Waze, founded in Israel and purchased by Google in 2013, rejected the accusations, insisting that it protects users' personal information and does not allow unauthorized access to sensitive data. The decision has sparked frustration and criticism among Malaysian drivers, who complain that TuJu is unreliable, has trouble locating destinations and lacks the navigation capabilities of Waze. The backlash intensified after officials acknowledged that the Malaysian app was not yet fully developed. Anwar acknowledged that TuJu had significant shortcomings but defended the restriction as necessary for national security, and apologized for the inconvenience. Although authorities have made it clear that ordinary Malaysians can still use Waze and other navigation apps, Anwar warned on Oct 23 that a nationwide ban remains possible once suitable alternatives are available.

Malaysia has banned government employees from using the Waze navigation app developed in Israel, citing national security concerns about its Israeli origins and the possibility that Israeli authorities could access users' location data. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the immediate restriction on October 21, urging Malaysians to abandon Waze and switch to locally developed alternatives, particularly TuJu. Waze, founded in Israel and purchased by Google in 2013, rejected the accusations, insisting that it protects users' personal information and does not allow unauthorized access to sensitive data. The decision has sparked frustration and criticism among Malaysian drivers, who complain that TuJu is unreliable, has trouble locating destinations and lacks the navigation capabilities of Waze. The backlash intensified after officials acknowledged that the Malaysian app was not yet fully developed. Anwar acknowledged that TuJu had significant shortcomings but defended the restriction as necessary for national security, and apologized for the inconvenience. Although authorities have made it clear that ordinary Malaysians can still use Waze and other navigation apps, Anwar warned on Oct 23 that a nationwide ban remains possible once suitable alternatives are available.