CA-C-001342
Waze — Waze Privacy Policy
Entity
Date detected
April 19, 2026
Effective date
April 19, 2026
Severity
Direction
Negative
Affected users
all users users in jurisdictions requiring explicit data practice disclosure
Taxonomy
Transparency removal
Changes
+1 sentence added · −7 sentences removed · 25 sentences modified
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Event Summary

Waze updated its privacy policy on April 19, 2026, removing detailed language about social network integration, the 'find friends' feature, and phone number collection, while making minor grammatical edits to other sections. The removal of these provisions eliminates specific descriptions of how Waze previously disclosed its collection of device contact information and phone numbers for friend-finding purposes. The policy now contains less explicit detail about these data practices, though the updated terms do not clearly state whether these practices have been discontinued or are simply no longer described.

MEDIUM

Consumer Impact

The updated policy removes explicit language describing how Waze collects phone numbers from device contact books and integrates social network accounts. Previously, the policy stated that Waze would 'periodically collect all of the phone numbers which are stored on your device's phone contacts book' and described how this information was used for the 'find friends' feature. The revised policy no longer includes these specific disclosures. This does not necessarily mean the practices have stopped, but it means the policy provides less transparency about what data Waze collects from your device and how it uses contact information. Users who relied on these detailed descriptions to understand Waze's data practices will find the updated policy less explicit on these points.

Governance Analysis

The removal of explicit disclosures about phone contact collection and social network integration reduces the transparency of Waze's privacy notice regarding sensitive data practices. Regulators and privacy frameworks require clear, specific disclosure of data collection practices. The absence of these disclosures without clarification of whether the practices have ended creates potential compliance risk and leaves users with less information about how their contact data and social information are handled.

Available Actions

Review Waze's full updated privacy policy to assess what data practices are now disclosed or omitted

Check Waze app privacy settings to determine whether social network integration or contact book access options remain available

If No Action Is Taken

Users will not be aware that detailed disclosures about phone contact collection are no longer in the policy

Contact data practices will continue to be governed by the updated policy with less explicit description of how information is used

Historical Context

ConductAtlas has recorded 2 material changes to this document (since March 2026).

Key Clauses Affected

phone contact collection disclosure (removed)

Explicit statement that Waze 'periodically collects all of the phone numbers which are stored on your device's phone contacts book' has been removed without clarification of whether the practice continues.

social network integration disclosure (removed)

Detailed description of social network account connection and information sharing has been removed.

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This change record describes what was added, removed, or modified in the document. Analysis reflects what the updated agreement states or permits. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Applicability may vary by jurisdiction. Methodology

Evidence Verification

✓ Verified
Previous Version
e5820cc74fa929353183fd746c1454adccf9bdbdff4a986a51eccd3745bc63b2
March 23, 2026 06:16 UTC
✓ Verified
Current Version
a8573de8af13bc2f7d150d3f6c317770386e37d4954f9d4082ee7dcef2746106
April 19, 2026 06:28 UTC
✓ Verified
Change Detected
April 19, 2026 06:28 UTC
Analysis Methodology
✓ Verified
Source Document
https://www.waze.com/legal/privacy
Citation Record
Entity: Waze
Document: Waze Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-C-001342
Captured: 2026-04-19 06:28:56 UTC
URL: https://conductatlas.com/change/2026-04-19-waze-waze-privacy-policy-1342/
Accessed: May 13, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.

Impact Summary

1
Protection removed
Consumers Removed

Users no longer have a detailed policy description of how their phone contacts are collected and used.

For legal and compliance teams

Institutional Analysis

Assessment

Waze removed substantive disclosure language regarding phone contact collection and social network integration, reducing the granularity of its privacy notice without clearly stating that the underlying practices have been discontinued. This creates potential compliance exposure under privacy regimes that require clear, specific disclosure of data collection practices (GDPR, CCPA, and similar frameworks). The removal of disclosure language without accompanying statement that practices have ended may be interpreted as silent practice continuation with reduced transparency, which could trigger regulatory scrutiny. Organizations that use Waze within their own customer-facing services may face questions about vendor transparency if Waze's own disclosures become less specific.

Regulatory Exposure

GDPR (Articles 13-14 requiring clear, specific disclosure of processing), CCPA (requiring clear description of categories of personal information collected), state privacy laws (requiring specific disclosure of data practices), FTC Act Section 5 (requiring truthful, non-deceptive disclosures about data handling).

Full compliance analysis

Obligation analysis, escalation trigger, board language, and recommended action.

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ConductAtlas provides verified policy intelligence sourced directly from platform documents. All analysis is intended to support, not replace, legal and compliance review. Record CA-C-001342.

Full Changes

See the full side-by-side comparison of every sentence added, removed, and modified.

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Document Context

Version history → Policy drift analysis → Document page →
Document
Waze Privacy Policy
Entity
Waze
Captured
April 19, 2026
Source URL
https://www.waze.com/legal/privacy
Other changes to Waze Privacy Policy
Previous change Mar 23, 2026
Waze updated its privacy policy on March 23, 2026 to add explicit disclosures about social network integration and the 'find …
Medium Neutral
Next change May 5, 2026
Waze updated its privacy policy on May 5, 2026 to add explicit language about collecting phone numbers from your device's …
Medium Neutral
View full version history →
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