Mapping app Waze has rejected claims that its navigation app collects sensitive government information or exposes users’ personal data to exploitation, following reports that Malaysia has banned civil servants from using the Israeli-developed platform over data security concerns.

“Claims that Waze collects sensitive government information or allows any entity to exploit personal user data are completely false,” the company said in a response to TNGlobal.

“Waze operates under strict privacy policies that protect user data and comply with global legal data protection standards,” Waze wrote in an email.

On Thursday, Malaysia’s National Cyber Security Agency chief executive Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin said the use of navigation app Waze poses significant national security risks as its new terms of service are subject to Israeli law.

He said a study conducted by Nacsa on Aug 1 identified the potential misuse of Malaysians’ location data and daily movement patterns by external parties, national news agency Bernama reported.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Malaysian civil servants had been prohibited from using Waze, citing concerns over the security of personal data and information about users’ movements.

The concerns reportedly stem from the application’s Israeli origins and the possibility that data collected through the service could be subject to Israeli government laws.

Waze is a free, community-driven GPS navigation application for iOS, Android, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto used by over 200 million drivers worldwide, information from its website showed.

Waze collects real-time GPS data and crowdsourced hazard reports from its driver community to dynamically calculate the fastest routes around traffic congestion, accidents, speed traps, and road work. Waze is designed exclusively for private motor vehicles and motorcycles.