Iraq has announced plans to ban the navigation app Waze, citing its Israeli origins and concerns over the company's links to Israel, as calls to boycott Israeli-linked products and services continue amid the war on Gaza.

Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad initially said the ban would take effect at the beginning of 2027 while speaking to journalists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. He later said in a Facebook post that the measure would be brought forward to the end of this year following widespread online criticism.

“The reason is because it is made in Israel, therefore we will ban it at the beginning of 2027,” Sanad told journalists, adding that alternatives were available, including Google Maps.

In a separate statement, the minister defended the decision, describing Waze as an Israeli application that remains under Israeli management.

He also alleged that such applications could help with surveillance in Gaza and provide companies with financial benefits and information.

Waze, known for its real-time, crowdsourced traffic information, was founded in Israel in 2008 and expanded internationally before Google acquired it in 2013 for approximately $1 billion.

The application remains widely used by drivers in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, where users rely on its traffic updates and road alerts.

Although Google owns Waze, the application maintains a presence in Tel Aviv, a factor cited by Sanad in defending the proposed ban.

The minister's announcement has sparked debate over how the restriction would be implemented and whether it would affect access to other digital services connected to companies with Israeli origins.

It remains unclear whether Iraqi authorities intend to block the application's servers through telecommunications providers or remove it from local app stores.

The proposed ban comes amid continued calls from Iran-aligned political groups and figures in Iraq to boycott Israeli-linked products and services following the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023.

Iraq does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, and Iraqi law prohibits dealings with the country. The growing boycott campaign has also brought renewed attention to the ownership and origins of international technology platforms operating in Iraq.

However, the proposed Waze ban has drawn criticism from some Iraqi social media users, who questioned its practical benefits and pointed out that Google Maps, which Sanad recommended as an alternative, is owned by the same parent company as Waze.

One commenter, Ali Al Askari, argued that Waze provided greater benefits to users than the minister himself, while another, Duraid Al Saffar, urged the government to develop a locally produced navigation application before restricting an established service.

The criticism highlights the challenge facing Iraqi authorities as they seek to enforce restrictions on Israeli-linked technology while maintaining access to widely used digital services.

The timing and enforcement mechanism of the ban have yet to be clarified, leaving questions over how the measure will affect Iraqi drivers and the country's wider digital services landscape. (ILKHA)