The National Security Council has clarified that Google Maps is not included in the government's restriction on civil servants using Waze for official duties, even though both navigation services are ultimately owned by Google. The reason comes down to legal jurisdiction rather than corporate ownership alone.
According to the council, Google Maps is based in the United States and governed by US law, while Waze's data controller is incorporated in Israel and its terms of use place legal disputes under Israeli law and the jurisdiction of courts in Tel Aviv. The government says this distinction played a major role in how the two services were assessed from a national security and data sovereignty perspective.
Google Maps And Waze Are Being Treated Differently
At first glance, the exemption may seem unusual because Google acquired Waze in 2013 and both platforms operate under the same broader corporate group. However, MKN says the government is looking beyond ownership and examining the legal framework attached to each service.
Google Maps falls under US jurisdiction, while Waze's terms place certain legal matters under Israeli law. From the government's perspective, that difference affects how Malaysian user data could potentially be handled if a legal dispute, regulatory request or data-related issue were to arise.
The restriction is therefore being framed as a question of jurisdiction and information sovereignty rather than simply where a technology company originated.
Waze Restriction Based On Two Main Concerns
MKN said the decision involving Waze was driven by two main areas of concern. The first relates to the amount and type of information the application can collect while users are navigating.
Navigation services may process information such as location, movement history, journeys and device details. When combined and analysed over time, that information could potentially reveal patterns about where users travel, when they move and which routes they regularly take.
For ordinary users, this information primarily helps improve routing and traffic predictions. For government personnel, however, aggregated movement patterns may be considered more sensitive.
Legal Jurisdiction Is The Second Major Issue
The second concern relates directly to Waze's terms of service. According to MKN, disputes involving the platform fall under Israeli law and the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Tel Aviv.
Malaysia does not recognise Israel and has no diplomatic relations with the country. The government argues that this creates additional complications if Malaysian authorities ever need to pursue legal, regulatory or data-protection matters involving the service.
This jurisdiction issue is one of the main reasons Google Maps is being treated differently despite both platforms belonging to Google.
Government Says The Issue Is Data Sovereignty
MKN stressed that the restriction should not be interpreted simply as opposition towards technology associated with a particular country. Instead, the government says the objective is protecting personal information and maintaining greater control over strategically sensitive data.
Data sovereignty has become an increasingly important issue as more services rely on foreign cloud platforms, AI providers and mobile applications. Governments want clearer answers about where information is stored, which laws apply to it and who ultimately has authority over access.
Navigation data naturally falls into that discussion because location information can become much more revealing when analysed at scale.
AI Could Make Movement Data More Valuable
MKN also raised concerns that information collected through navigation services could potentially be analysed using artificial intelligence. Large datasets containing location and travel information can reveal patterns that may not be obvious from individual records.
AI systems are particularly effective at identifying relationships across enormous datasets. Movement information could potentially be used to analyse travel routines, identify frequently visited locations or detect behavioural patterns.
The council warned that malicious parties could theoretically exploit such information, which is why the government says additional caution is necessary when official government travel is involved.
Waze Rejects Claims That It Compromises User Data
Waze has pushed back against the concerns raised by Malaysian authorities. A company spokesperson reportedly described claims that the service compromises personal information or collects sensitive government data as "completely false."
The company said it operates under strict privacy policies designed to protect user information and comply with international data protection requirements. Waze maintains that user privacy remains a core part of how the service operates.
However, the company reportedly did not directly address questions regarding its Israeli legal connections.
No General Ban For Malaysian Users
The current Waze restriction remains focused on civil servants using the application for official duties. Ordinary Malaysians are still allowed to use Waze if they choose to do so.
The government has repeatedly described its approach as phased rather than an immediate nationwide prohibition. MKN says it intends to evaluate how effective the current measures are before deciding whether additional restrictions are necessary.
This means the policy could potentially change depending on future findings, but no broader public ban has been announced at this stage.
Google Maps Remains Available For Official Use
For government personnel who still require a widely established navigation service, Google Maps remains available because it falls under US rather than Israeli legal jurisdiction.
That gives civil servants an alternative while local navigation platforms continue to improve. Services such as TuJu and Pintaz are also being promoted as Malaysian-developed options, but the government has acknowledged that some local platforms still need work before they can fully match established international applications.
The exemption therefore ensures that officials are not left without reliable navigation tools while the government develops a longer-term policy.
NACSA Will Continue Reviewing Other Applications
MKN also said the National Cyber Security Agency will continue assessing other digital products and services for similar risks. Particular attention will reportedly be given to platforms whose terms place data or legal disputes under Israeli jurisdiction.
If NACSA identifies comparable concerns, the government could consider additional measures. However, MKN says any action will be based on security assessments rather than automatically applying blanket restrictions to every foreign application.
This suggests the government intends to evaluate platforms individually according to how their data practices and legal structures operate.
Other Foreign Apps Are Not Automatically Affected
The fact that Google Maps remains permitted demonstrates that the government's approach is not simply based on whether a service is foreign-owned. Legal jurisdiction, data handling and security considerations appear to matter more.
This distinction is important because many popular digital services used in Malaysia are operated by international companies. A blanket restriction based solely on foreign ownership would be difficult to implement and would disrupt a large portion of everyday digital services.
The current policy instead appears to focus on whether specific platforms present concerns that the government considers unacceptable for official use.
Local Alternatives Still Need To Improve
The Waze restriction has placed much greater attention on Malaysian navigation platforms such as TuJu. Government support has helped increase public awareness, but the sudden increase in users also exposed technical and capacity problems within TuJu.
Authorities have already asked the Malaysian Highway Authority and developer Prosignal Consortium to explain recent disruptions and provide a clear improvement timeline. Navigation accuracy, system stability and broader road coverage remain among the areas that need attention.
If local applications are expected to become serious alternatives to Waze, they will need to compete on performance as well as data sovereignty.
Users Will Still Expect Accuracy And Reliability
Privacy and jurisdiction are important considerations, but ordinary drivers ultimately judge navigation apps by how well they work. Accurate routes, reliable traffic information and fast rerouting remain essential.
A locally developed application may provide stronger control over Malaysian data, but that advantage will only translate into long-term adoption if the user experience is competitive. Users are unlikely to remain with a platform that regularly provides outdated routes or becomes unavailable during heavy demand.
The strongest local alternative would therefore need to combine security, privacy and high-quality navigation rather than relying on any one factor alone.
Final Thoughts
The National Security Council's clarification explains why Google Maps remains available to civil servants even though both it and Waze ultimately sit under Google's corporate ownership. The key difference is legal jurisdiction: Google Maps is governed under US law, while Waze's terms place disputes under Israeli law and the jurisdiction of courts in Tel Aviv.
The government says its concerns surrounding Waze focus on the amount of movement information collected, the possibility that such data could be analysed at scale and the complications created by Israeli legal jurisdiction. Waze has rejected claims that it compromises personal or government information, maintaining that it follows strict privacy protections.
For now, the restriction remains limited to official use by civil servants, while Google Maps and other navigation alternatives remain available. NACSA will continue assessing other applications, meaning the broader policy around navigation apps and data sovereignty could continue evolving as Malaysia places greater emphasis on who controls its digital information.
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