KUALA LUMPUR: Navigation applications Google Maps and Waze are not perceived as a threat to national security because it is user-based, said Datuk Jailani Johari.
The Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister said the applications had privacy policies, which were agreed upon by an individual and the application provider.
“However, if the MPs are very concerned about this matter, then the National Security Council (NSC) can look into reviewing these navigation apps,” he said in response to a question by Datuk Raime Unggi (BN-Tenom) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Raime had claimed that Malaysians’ increasing usage of Google Maps and Waze indirectly provided information about Malaysia to external quarters such as the United States and Israel.
Jailani refuted the possibility of private information relating to national security being leaked through these applications.
“On the sharing of personal data, the terms and conditions agreed on when using the app is the prerogative of the user.
“If the user ends up over sharing personal data online, then the data is likely to be abused. The Government cannot take the sole blame for this,” he said.
However, in response to a follow-up question by Sim Tze Sin (PKR-Bayan Baru), Jailani noted that the NSC could review applications that were perceived to be a threat to a national security.
