Growing domestic US scrutiny over Israeli overreach and its impact on digital sovereignty has put a spotlight on the data privacy of American citizens.
US-based political commentator and human rights advocate Ammanda Schissler has raised concerns over the updated Terms of Service of Google’s navigation app Waze, pointing out a specific clause that subjects domestic users to foreign legal jurisdiction.
In a video shared on Instagram, Schissler highlighted a section from the application’s “Governing Law and Jurisdiction” terms.
According to the screenshot provided in the video, the clause states: “These Terms will be governed solely by the laws of the State of Israel, without giving effect to any conflicts of law principles. Any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of, connected with or relating to these Terms and the Service, will be under the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent court in the Tel Aviv district in Israel.”
Schissler noted that another content creator originally brought attention to the updated document while reviewing the platform’s policies.
She questioned why an application primarily used by individuals to navigate American streets, highways and neighborhoods requires legal disputes to be handled across the ocean under foreign laws, emphasizing the disconnect for US users.
Providing background on the platform’s corporate history, Schissler mentioned that Waze was originally founded in Israel in 2008. Google subsequently acquired the company in 2013 for a reported $1.1 billion.
Despite Google being an American-owned corporation, the tech giant continues to maintain research and development offices in Israel and the app remains registered under Israeli ownership for legal purposes.
Company records substantiate the corporate structure, identifying the service provider as Waze Mobile Ltd., an entity officially incorporated and operating under the laws of Israel, with its headquarters located on Yigal Alon Street in Tel Aviv.
The platform originally began as an open-source project named FreeMap Israel, created in 2006 by Israeli programmers Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar and Uri Levine.
When Google executed the acquisition in 2013, the agreement explicitly included a caveat ensuring that Waze’s primary hub and base of operations would remain stationed within Israel.
Terming the arrangement a “loophole” that should cause concern for users, Schissler stated that she chose to immediately deactivate her account and delete the navigation tool from her device.
Expressing discomfort with sharing her location history as a US resident, she concluded by stating that she is “not okay with giving that country my location data.”
