Waze is a community-driven navigation app originally developed in Israel and acquired by Google in 2013. It is known for its real-time traffic reports, speed camera alerts, and hazard warnings contributed by its user community. Waze is one of the most popular driving navigation apps worldwide.

Privacy and Security

Waze is a Google subsidiary, meaning user data is subject to Google's data practices and advertising ecosystem. The app requires constant location sharing to function and collects detailed driving behavior data including routes, speed, braking patterns, and frequent destinations. This data is used for advertising purposes and is shared across Google services. Waze also displays ads during navigation, including location-based ads from nearby businesses.

Data Concerns

• Owned by Google since 2013 — all data feeds into Google's advertising ecosystem
• Requires constant GPS tracking and an active internet connection to function
• Collects detailed driving behavior data including speed, acceleration, and braking
• Displays targeted ads during navigation based on your location and driving patterns
• Builds profiles of your driving habits, frequent routes, and regular destinations
• Data is stored on US servers and subject to US surveillance laws
• No offline mode available — cannot be used without sharing your location with Google's servers