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The policy states that account deletion requests trigger a process that generally takes approximately two months to complete, during which data may remain in backup systems, and that delays may occur due to maintenance or technical issues.
This analysis describes what Waze's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision establishes the operational timeline for data deletion following an account deletion request, disclosing that full deletion from storage systems may take up to approximately two months and that the stated timeline is subject to operational delays.
The updated policy now applies to users of any age by removing the prior 16+ requirement, but does not explicitly state whether parental consent is required for minors. The policy defines Personal Information more broadly to include location, route information, and data reasonably linked to you by Waze. The company removed documentation of the 'find friends' feature that previously collected phone numbers from device contacts, suggesting that feature is no longer active or has been redesigned. Privacy controls remain available through in-app settings where you can adjust which Personal Information Waze collects and how it is used.
View change record →The updated policy now explicitly discloses that Waze periodically collects all phone numbers stored on your device's contact book as part of the 'find friends' feature. According to the revised terms, these phone numbers are collected in a form that is initially anonymous to Waze and are used to help create a list of other Waze users you may know. The policy clarifies that names, addresses, and other contact information are not collected from your phone book, though such information may be saved locally on your device for local searches. Additionally, the updated terms now explicitly authorize connecting your Waze account to social network accounts and sharing profile information from those networks. You can control whether to use the 'find friends' feature and whether to connect social network accounts to your Waze account.
View change record →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.
View change record →Under this clause, submitting an account deletion request through the Waze app or website initiates a deletion process that the policy states generally takes around two months. The policy states that personalization of the user experience stops upon receipt of the request, but full deletion from storage and backup systems takes longer.
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"On receiving such a request, Waze will use reasonable efforts to delete such information, however please note that information may not be deleted immediately from our back-up systems. We aim to initiate the deletion process immediately after your request. Once we receive your request, your data will no longer be used to personalize your Waze experience. We then begin a process designed to safely and completely delete the data from our storage systems. This process generally takes around 2 months from the time the deletion request was made. As with any deletion process, things like routine maintenance, unexpected outages, bugs, or failures in our protocols may cause delays in the processes and time frames defined in this policy.Excerpt from Waze's Privacy Policy
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: GDPR Article 17 requires erasure without undue delay upon a valid erasure request, and while a reasonable technical processing period is generally accepted, a stated two-month timeline may attract scrutiny depending on the jurisdiction and the nature of data retained during that period. EU data protection authorities have considered what constitutes undue delay in erasure contexts. Brazilian LGPD similarly establishes erasure rights with promptness expectations. The UK ICO has published guidance on erasure timelines. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The two-month deletion timeline is disclosed but qualified by reference to operational delays, which may complicate compliance demonstrations under GDPR and LGPD where erasure timeliness is evaluated. The policy's statement that personalization ceases immediately upon request receipt provides a partial mitigation for data use concerns during the deletion period. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU and UK users have the most direct exposure under GDPR and UK GDPR erasure obligations. Brazilian users under LGPD and Israeli users under applicable Israeli data protection law also have erasure rights. The adequacy of a two-month timeline, particularly with open-ended delay provisions, should be evaluated against the specific requirements of each applicable jurisdiction. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: The policy's reference to backup systems retaining data during the deletion period is relevant to vendor data processing agreements where erasure obligations extend to subprocessors and backup environments. Compliance teams should verify whether Waze's backup deletion practices align with data processing agreement terms in enterprise contexts. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should evaluate whether the two-month deletion timeline, including potential extensions, is consistent with applicable erasure obligations in each relevant jurisdiction, whether the backup retention period is separately documented and justified, and whether the erasure process covers all subprocessor and affiliate systems including Google affiliate systems that received the user's data.
This provision establishes the operational timeline for data deletion following an account deletion request, disclosing that full deletion from storage systems may take up to approximately two months and that the stated timeline is subject to operational delays.
Under this clause, submitting an account deletion request through the Waze app or website initiates a deletion process that the policy states generally takes around two months. The policy states that personalization of the user experience stops upon receipt of the request, but full deletion from storage and backup systems takes longer.
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