Iraq to Block Waze Navigation App Starting in Early 2027

Iraq is expected to ban the popular navigation app Waze, which was founded in Israel. Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad announced the move on Tuesday, opening discussions about the possibility of building a domestic alternative and whether banning an app truly protects users' location data.

According to Iraq's Al-Mada newspaper, the Communications Ministry intends to block Waze by the end of December. However, speaking to Rudaw, Minister Sanad said the ban would take effect around early 2027. He made the announcement on the sidelines of the Hitex 2026 technology exhibition in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.

"Because this app comes from the [Israeli] entity and is made by Israel, we will ban it in early 2027," Sanad said.

What is Waze?

Waze is a widely used navigation app, relied on by hundreds of drivers, including many taxi drivers, for their daily travel. The service depends on users reporting traffic jams, accidents and police checkpoints as they happen. Waze was developed in Israel and Google acquired it in 2013 for nearly $1 billion.

Waze's privacy policy allows the app to collect users' location, routes, destinations, search history and device information, depending on settings. When aggregated across many users over time, this data has security value because it can reveal movement patterns, peak hours and unusual changes.

Rudaw reported that the app has been the subject of security discussions in Iraq regarding alerts that help drivers avoid checkpoints, though Minister Sanad did not link the ban to that issue.

Why is the Israel factor particularly sensitive in Iraq?

Iraq does not recognize Israel and has no diplomatic relations with it, and has officially been in a state of war with Israel since 1948. A 2022 law criminalizes any diplomatic, political, military, economic or cultural relations with Israel, with penalties including life imprisonment and the death penalty. The law was passed with 275 votes in the 329-seat Council of Representatives.

The law applies to all Iraqi citizens, state agencies and media as well as private companies and foreign entities operating in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region. However, Minister Sanad did not specifically say that Waze must be blocked under the anti-normalization law.

Distrust of Israel has grown further after the US-Israel war with Iran. The US and its allies carried out airstrikes and imposed economic measures targeting Iran-backed militias in Iraq. During the war, Iraq also faced a serious Israeli infiltration: in May, US media reported that Israel had built two secret military outposts deep in the Iraqi desert to support the campaign against Iran. One of the outposts was nearly discovered by a local shepherd, who was later killed.

What alternative does the government propose?

Minister Sanad said users could switch to Google Maps or Iraqi navigation apps. Communications Ministry spokesperson Omar al-Amiri told Al-Mada that Waze would be replaced by an unnamed Iraqi app, and that this app would operate without technical problems.

Also in Al-Mada, Iraqi technology researcher Mustafa Kamel al-Sharif argued that a national alternative would not simply be an app with an Iraqi map and logo. According to him, it needs an accurate geographic database, a continuously updated road network, a routing system and live data on traffic, accidents and closed routes. He also argued that the core issue lies in how Iraq manages citizens' data, and that other services could also collect sensitive data similar to Waze.

What remains unclear

The Communications Ministry has not said how the block would be enforced or whether it would apply to the Kurdistan region. The ministry has also not stated the legal basis for the ban or the launch date of the Iraqi app.

Another unclear point is why Google Maps, owned by the same parent company Alphabet, is still allowed to operate or is being offered as an alternative. The government has also not answered why Waze is being banned at this time even though the app's Israeli origin has long been known.