Iraq’s Ministry of Communications has announced its intention to block access to the navigation application Waze by the beginning of 2027. Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad made the announcement on Tuesday at the Hitex 2026 technology exhibition in Erbil. He stated that the ban would proceed because the service originates from Israel and is Israeli-developed. The application was created in Israel and subsequently acquired by Google in 2013 for approximately $1 billion.
Waze functions as a widely-used navigation tool that allows users to report traffic conditions, accidents, and police checkpoints in real-time. The service collects location data, routes, destinations, search histories, and device information according to its privacy policy. Iraqi officials have raised security concerns regarding the application’s use of alerts to circumvent checkpoints, according to reporting. The data collected across multiple users over time can reveal movement patterns, peak activity periods, and anomalies that pose potential security risks.
Iraq maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel and has maintained a formal state of war since 1948. A law passed in 2022 criminalizes any diplomatic, political, military, economic, or cultural engagement with Israel, with penalties including life imprisonment and capital punishment. The law applies to all Iraqi citizens, governmental institutions, media organizations, private companies, and foreign entities operating throughout the country, including the Kurdish autonomous region.
Sanad suggested that users could transition to Google Maps or Iraqi-developed navigation applications. A Communications Ministry spokesman stated that an unnamed Iraqi application would replace Waze. However, technology researchers have noted that developing a functional domestic alternative would require substantial infrastructure beyond simple map interfaces, including accurate geographic databases, continuously updated road networks, routing systems, and live traffic data.
Several questions remain unresolved, including the enforcement mechanisms for the ban, its applicability to the Kurdish region, and why Google Maps—owned by the same parent company Alphabet—would remain accessible. Officials have not clarified the specific legal authority for the ban or provided a timeline for launching the Iraqi alternative application.
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