For over a decade, drivers have utilized the Waze app for help navigating on the highways, freeways and local streets (and to avoid speed cameras set up by law enforcement). But a new update to its terms and conditions, with specific ties to Israel, has gone viral on social media.
We took a closer look at the revelations, as well as the history of the company, which is owned by Google to shed some light on the situation.
Recent Controversy
A user named Medic Kim on X, formerly Twitter, focused on the latest update to Waze’s terms and conditions. The fine print reads: “These Terms will be governed solely by the laws of the State of Israel… exclusive jurisdiction of the competent court in the Tel Aviv district in Israel.”
What Is Waze?
To begin with, Waze is an app that offers satellite navigation on smartphones and other devices which supports global positioning systems, aka GPS. It’s currently available for iOS and Android users, and also in automotive formats for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Waze would also expand its capabilities to be utilized by television news stations to deliver real-time traffic news and alerts, and can play music from Spotify and Pandora. Users can also deploy different celebrity voice prompts including Snoop Dogg and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and add their own.
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The company behind Waze Mobile Ltd. was first named FreeMapIsrael, and was created in 2006 by Ehud Shabtai along with Amir Shinar and Uri Levine. The three first met as veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces Unit 8200, which specializes in collecting signal intelligence and clandestine intelligence warfare.
The company would be renamed Waze Mobile Ltd. in 2009, and gained popularity as it expanded operations in the southern Israeli city of Ra’anana and in Palo Alto, California, running with 100 employees.
After two successful rounds of funding from venture capital firms, Waze was acquired by Google in 2013 for $1.3 billion. As part of the deal, Waze’s base of operations would primarily remain in Israel (a caveat which would lead to an acquisition deal from Meta being shot down before the Google deal). Its infrastructure would also be folded into Google Maps later on, to save costs.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the deal, and according to The Times of Israel, told then CEO Noam Bardin: “You reached the goal, placing Israeli technology at the center of the world’s attention.”
Response
Israel’s continuing war in Gaza, and its treatment of the indigenous Palestinian people, has led to a shift in how the world perceives the Middle Eastern nation. Many, including the United Nations, have accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians, as well as intimidating and attacking activists, journalists, and humanitarian aid workers.
The discovery of Waze’s ties to Israel online have occurred as early as 2023. But the latest viral post has added more fuel to those who are adamantly against Israel, and have led to some declaring their deletion of the app and the end of their subscription.
