The government has been urged to review the use of navigation app Waze in Malaysia and consider restricting its operation after its latest terms of service were found to identify an Israel-based company as the provider of the service.
Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil said the call followed a review of Waze’s updated terms of service, which were revised on July 8.
He said the latest terms stated that Waze services were provided by Waze Mobile Ltd, a company incorporated and operating under Israeli law with an address in Tel Aviv.
“The terms also state that the use of Waze services is subject to Israeli law, while any disputes relating to the terms and services fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Tel Aviv, Israel,” he said in a statement today.
Siraj acknowledged that Waze was acquired by Google in 2013, but said the latest Terms of Use and Privacy Policy continued to identify Waze Mobile Ltd, based in Israel, as the entity responsible for the service and user data.
He said this raised serious concerns, which he claimed were inconsistent with Malaysia’s long-standing policy towards Israel.
Siraj said Malaysia had maintained a firm position of not recognising Israel and had no diplomatic or direct economic relations with the country.
He also cited previous statements by the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) that Malaysia had no direct trade relations with Israel.
He said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan had also reiterated that Malaysia’s position of not recognising Israel remained a longstanding national policy.
Siraj added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had previously maintained that Malaysia would not abandon its position, including when it came to trade-related matters.
MCCA is therefore urging the government to take appropriate action, including reviewing Waze’s status and use in Malaysia, to ensure the country’s sovereignty and foreign policy position are upheld.
