Malaysia bans civil servants from using Waze over concerns about Israeli control of the app

Summary

Malaysia has banned all civil servants from using the Waze navigation app. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned of security concerns over the Israeli government's control of the app, and the government announced the decision after a National Cyber Security Committee meeting chaired by Anwar on Tuesday, according to an official circular. Ministry secretaries-general and heads of department must ensure the decision is communicated to all officers. ABC News reports the ban rests on data security concerns linked to the app's Israeli origins. The Times of Israel reports that Kuala Lumpur, which does not have ties with Israel, says the move aims to prevent Israel from using the data, and that the announcement follows a plan to ban the app entirely in Iraq.

Timeline

1. South China Morning Post

   21 Oct 2026, 07:53 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that all civil servants in Malaysia have been banned from using Waze after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned of security concerns over the Israeli government's control of the app, with the decision announced after a National Cyber Security Committee meeting chaired by Anwar on Tuesday.

2. ABC News

   21 Oct 2026, 12:33 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Malaysia has banned civil servants from using the Waze navigation app due to data security concerns linked to its Israeli origins.

3. The Times of Israel

   21 Oct 2026, 15:32 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Malaysia, which does not have ties with Israel, has banned civil servants from using the Israeli-made Waze app, claiming the aim is to prevent Israel from using the data, and that the move follows a plan to ban the app entirely in Iraq.