Due to its Israeli roots: Malaysia bans government employees from using Waze

The Malaysian government has banned state employees from using the navigation app Waze, owned by Google, over privacy concerns due to its Israeli origins. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote in a Facebook post that the government is examining the risks associated with using the app under Israeli laws, adding that data security cannot be compromised. The post followed a meeting of the National Cyber Committee, but Ibrahim did not detail the risks and recommended switching to the local mapping app TuJu. The Chief Secretary of the Malaysian government, Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, issued an immediate directive banning its use. Waze was founded in Israel and acquired by Google in 2013. Malaysia, which has a Muslim majority, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.