Iraq has moved to prohibit the popular navigation application Waze, citing its origins in Israel. Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad revealed the decision on Tuesday at the Hitex 2026 technology exhibition in Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.
According to the Iraqi newspaper Al-Mada, the Ministry of Communications intends to enforce the block by the end of December, with Sanad telling broadcaster Rudaw that the measure will take effect at the start of 2027. He stated, “Because it comes from the entity [Israel] and is Israeli-made, we will ban it at the beginning of 2027.”
Waze, which Google acquired in 2013 for nearly $1 billion, is extensively used by motorists and taxi drivers across the country. The platform allows users to report real-time traffic congestion, accidents, and police checkpoints. Its privacy policy permits the collection of location data, routes, destinations, search histories, and device information, which analysts note can reveal sensitive movement patterns.
While Rudaw reported that the app had previously been discussed in security circles due to its utility in helping drivers evade checkpoints, Sanad did not explicitly link the ban to this specific issue. However, the move aligns with Iraq’s broader hostility toward Israel. Iraq has not recognized Israel since 1948 and passed a law in 2022 criminalizing diplomatic, political, military, economic, or cultural ties with the Jewish state. The legislation carries penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty and applies to all citizens, state institutions, and foreign entities operating within Iraqi territory.
Distrust between the two nations has intensified following the US-Israel war on Iran, during which Iraq-aligned militias have faced US and Israeli airstrikes. In May, US media reported that Israel had established two secret military outposts deep within Iraq’s desert to support operations against Iran; one site was nearly exposed after a local shepherd discovered it and was subsequently killed.
Sanad suggested that users could switch to Google Maps or domestically developed Iraqi applications. Communications Ministry spokesman Omar al-Amiri confirmed that Waze would be replaced by an unnamed national app, promising it would operate without technical issues. However, Iraqi technology researcher Mustafa Kamel al-Sharif cautioned that creating a viable national alternative requires more than just a local logo; it demands accurate geographic databases, continuously updated road networks, routing systems, and live traffic data.
Al-Sharif emphasized that the core challenge lies in how Iraq regulates citizen data, noting that other services may collect similarly sensitive information. Several questions remain unanswered: the ministry has not clarified how the ban will be enforced, whether it extends to the Kurdish region, or what the legal basis is. Additionally, it is unclear why Google Maps, owned by Alphabet—the same parent company as Waze—remains available, and why the government is acting now given that Waze’s Israeli origins have been known for years.
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