Waze restrictions due to Israeli legal jurisdiction - Nacsa

CYBERJAYA: The government's decision to ban Waze use for civil servants while allowing Google Maps comes down to the legal jurisdiction each platform falls under.

National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) chief executive officer Dr Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin said two main distinctions led to the restrictions, the first being that Waze is subject to the laws of a country Malaysia does not recognise.

He said there was also a possibility that such laws could be used in ways that threaten national security.

"We do not deny that Tuju is also based on Google Maps.

"Our decision on Waze was made because, from the legal aspect, Waze is still based in Israel and bound by Israeli law.

"Google Maps, on the other hand, is based in California and bound by US law.

"So there are two main distinctions that led us to decide on the ban on Waze, as it is bound by the laws of a country we do not recognise, and there is also the possibility that those laws could be used to pose a threat to the country," he told a press conference here today.

He was responding to questions on why Waze was singled out when other navigation services, including local alternatives, also rely on Google Maps.

Present was National Security Council director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin.