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Geopolitics · Asia Pacific

Anwar urges Malaysians to switch from Waze to Tuju over data risks

Anwar Ibrahim urged Malaysians to consider Tuju, a navigation app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, instead of Waze over concerns about data security. He said Waze is subject to Israeli government laws, while the issue was discussed at a National Cyber Security Committee meeting.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 2 of 5 outletsHow it's made

View timeline · 6 entries
5 outlets2 regionsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Mostly CenterL 0 · C 2 · R 1 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: Malaysia
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • The recommendation was linked to concerns about data security and Waze's obligations under Israeli government laws (per newswav.com, CNA, worldofbuzz.com).
  • Anwar said the concern was that Waze could be used to monitor Malaysian citizens' data (per CNA, newswav.com, thesun.my).
  • Anwar said, “We cannot compromise on the security of the people’s data and identities.” (per newswav.com, CNA).
  • Waze began in 2009 as an open-source project called FreeMap Israel, and Google bought it in 2013 for US$1 billion (per CNA).

The brief

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged Malaysians to use Tuju, a navigation app developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority, as an alternative to Waze, citing concerns about data security. The recommendation focused on the possibility that Waze could be used to monitor Malaysian citizens’ data and on the app’s obligations under Israeli government laws.

Anwar discussed the issue at a National Cyber Security Committee meeting, identified as JKSN, which he chaired on Oct 20, 2026. He said the committee reviewed emerging cyber threats and Malaysia’s digital preparedness and sovereignty. His stated concern was the security of personal information and movement data associated with using the navigation app.

The two accounts describe the concern with different emphasis. CNA specifically reports the possibility of Waze being used to monitor Malaysian citizens’ data. Newswav says the recommendation arose from potential risks to personal information and movement data, citing Waze’s obligations under Israeli government laws; it attributes its account to Bernama.

Both accounts report Anwar’s recommendation and the legal concern, but neither establishes that Waze has monitored Malaysian users’ data.

Anwar said the committee also considered implementing the Cyber Security Act 2024, securing MyDigital ID, preparing for quantum-computing threats through post-quantum cryptography, risks associated with autonomous artificial intelligence and protecting National Critical Information Infrastructure.

These issues were presented as part of a broader review of cyber threats and digital preparedness, alongside the discussion of Waze. Anwar said, “We cannot compromise on the security of the people’s data and identities.” His position was that the potential data risk warranted recommending a locally developed navigation alternative.

The coverage does not report a ban on Waze or a requirement for Malaysians to switch apps. CNA notes that Waze originated in 2009 as the open-source project FreeMap Israel and that Google acquired it in 2013 for US$1 billion.

That background helps explain the reference to Israeli law, but the coverage does not detail which legal requirements apply to Waze or how they would affect Malaysian users. The immediate decision for users is whether to follow Anwar’s recommendation and choose Tuju instead of Waze.

The accounts do not report a government decision to restrict Waze, nor do they provide details about Tuju’s data practices or a technical assessment comparing the two applications.

Why it matters

  • Malaysians using navigation apps face a concrete privacy concern: Anwar raised the possibility that Waze could be used to monitor their data, including personal information and movement data.
  • The Malaysian Highway Authority’s Tuju app is the recommended local alternative; the choice concerns which app users rely on for road navigation.
  • The committee’s agenda linked the app concern to broader digital-security work, including MyDigital ID, post-quantum cryptography, autonomous artificial intelligence and National Critical Information Infrastructure.

What to watch next

  • Whether Anwar or the Malaysian government provides further guidance on using Tuju instead of Waze.
  • Whether the Malaysian government announces any restriction or requirement concerning Waze; none was reported.
  • Whether the National Cyber Security Committee sets out specific measures addressing the data concern raised about Waze.
  • Whether the Malaysian Highway Authority provides details about Tuju’s data practices.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Mostly Center· 2 Center · 1 Right · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Unknown 60% · US/Canada 20% · Other 20%
Outlet political mix
Mostly Center
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
2 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

2 framing differences · 2 uncorroborated claims · 3 information gaps
The reports repeat the same account with different emphasis; its central claims are not independently confirmed in the reporting Updat3 read.Compared across 2 reports whose article text Updat3 read; 3 other outlets were checked by headline only.
Framing / emphasis differences
Sources emphasise different angles, actors or consequences of the same reporting.
  • CNA describes the concern as the possibility that Waze could monitor Malaysian citizens’ data; Newswav frames it as risks to personal information and movement data linked to Waze’s obligations under Israeli government laws.
  • Newswav attributes its account to Bernama; CNA directly reports Anwar’s stated concern about possible monitoring of Malaysian citizens’ data.
Updat3: These are differences of emphasis, not disputes about what is reported. They do not show that the reported claims are true.
One-sided or uncorroborated claims
Claims that come from one party or one source family and are not independently corroborated.
  • Anwar said, “We cannot compromise on the security of the people’s data and identities.”
  • CNA reports Anwar’s concern that Waze could be used to monitor Malaysian citizens’ data.
Updat3: Not independently corroborated yet — treat as a claim, not an established fact.
Not established by the reporting
Information the available reporting does not contain or confirm. This is a gap, not a disagreement.
  • The sources do not provide a technical assessment of Waze’s data handling or compare its practices with Tuju’s.
  • The sources do not specify what particular Israeli laws or obligations apply to Waze.
  • The coverage does not establish whether Waze has monitored Malaysian users’ data or explain which Israeli legal requirements apply to the app.
Updat3: Updat3 cannot conclude anything about this from the current sources.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Israel’s Protection of Privacy Law, enacted in 1981, provides a separate legal framework for privacy and personal-data protection.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. Waze began as the open-source mapping project FreeMap Israel.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. Malaysia enacted the Personal Data Protection Act, covering personal-data processing in commercial transactions.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Google acquired Waze for about US$1 billion.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Israel adopted Privacy Protection Regulations setting security requirements for databases.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. The Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2024, gazetted on October 17, 2024, amended that framework, including provisions concerning data controllers and processors.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

Google’s 2013 purchase of Waze for about US$1 billion placed the navigation app inside a large multinational technology company; Waze had begun in 2009 as an open-source mapping project called FreeMap Israel.

Google’s 2013 acquisition brought Waze into a company whose services operate across national borders, where privacy rules and government requests for data can differ by jurisdiction. Malaysia established a domestic framework for personal information in the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, which regulates the processing of personal data in commercial transactions.

Original sources

5 articles from 5 outlets

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