Iraq has announced it will ban the navigation app Waze from next year because it was developed in Israel.
Speaking to journalists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad said Waze is widely used in Iraq but that alternatives are available.
Asked what was behind the move, he said: “The reason is because it is made in Israel, therefore we will ban it at the beginning of 2027. The app is widely used in Iraq but there are alternatives, like Google Maps.”
In a separate post on his Facebook page, the minister said he would bring the ban forward to the end of this year, after a wave of online mockery.
Known for providing live, crowdsourced traffic information, Waze was founded in Israel in 2008 before expanding globally. In 2013, Google acquired the app for about $1 billion, operating it as a subsidiary. It continues to maintain a presence in Tel Aviv.
It is one of the most widely used navigation apps in Baghdad and other cities in Iraq, where drivers rely on its real-time alerts.
After criticism, Mr Sanad used his Facebook account to defend the decision, linking it to the war in Gaza.
Waze is to be banned “because it is a famous Israeli app and is still managed by them” and because “such apps help [with] scanning Gaza, and the app provides the company with money and information”, he wrote.
The announcement follows a series of calls by Iran-aligned politicians and groups in Iraq to boycott Israeli-linked products and services since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
Iraq does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and Israeli-linked companies are prohibited from operating in the country, though some digital services with Israeli origins are now owned by US companies and remain accessible in Iraq.
It was not immediately clear how the ban will be enforced. Telecoms companies could be ordered to block Waze servers, or it could be removed from app stores in Iraq.
The minister’s Facebook page was flooded with hundreds of comments within hours, many mocking the decision and pointing out that Google Maps, which he cited as an alternative, is owned by Google, which also owns Waze.
“Waze benefits us more the minister himself,” Ali Al Askari wrote.
“Since you are so concerned about Iraq and the interests of its people, create an Iraqi app that can benefit all of Iraq before you think of such a step,” another commentator, Duraid Al Saffar, said.
