[UPDATED] Why Waze is banned for civil servants but not Google Maps, Nacsa explains

CYBERJAYA: The government's decision to ban civil servants from using Waze while allowing Google Maps comes down to the legal jurisdiction governing each platform.

National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) chief executive officer Dr Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin said two main factors had led to the restriction, the first being that Waze was 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 threatened 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 about why Waze was singled out when other navigation services, including local alternatives, also rely on Google Maps.

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

Megat Zuhairy said that in 2019, Waze had 6.3 million Malaysian users, the fifth-highest number globally and the highest in Asean.

He said Waze was the only platform whose legal jurisdiction had been confirmed and verified so far, adding that similar assessments of other products would continue.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directed civil servants to stop using Waze and appealed to the public to do the same, citing concerns that sensitive government information and personal data could be exploited by Israel.