California residents can ask Waze what data it has collected about them, request that it be deleted, opt out of Waze sharing their data for advertising purposes, and cannot be penalized for exercising any of these rights.
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 California-specific statutory rights under CCPA and CPRA, including the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, which is particularly significant given Waze's third-party advertising data sharing practices.
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 →The updated privacy policy now explicitly discloses that Waze periodically collects all phone numbers stored in your device's contact book as part of the 'find friends' feature. According to the policy, this information is collected in an anonymous form to Waze and is used to identify other Waze users you may know. The terms also clarify that social network information can be shared with Waze and other users if you choose to connect your social network account. While the policy states that names, addresses, and other contact book information are not collected, some contact information may be saved locally on your device for local search purposes. You can control whether this feature operates by not using the 'find friends' feature or by not granting the app contact access through your device settings.
View change record →California residents have an enforceable right to opt out of Waze sharing their personal information (including location and behavioral data) with advertising partners; exercising this right requires submitting a request through the mechanism described in the policy and does not affect core navigation functionality.
How other platforms handle this
Depending on where you are located, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal information, the right to data portability, and the right to object to or withdraw consent for certain processi...
If you are a California resident, you may have the right to: Know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, sell, or share. Correct inaccurate personal information. Delete your personal information. Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. Limit the use and disclosure ...
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data, including the right to access, correct, delete, or port your data. EU and UK users may also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing. California residents may have the right to know, delete, corre...
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"If you are a California resident, you have certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and related regulations, including the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to request deletion of your personal information, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.— Excerpt from Waze's Waze Privacy Policy
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: CCPA (as amended by CPRA) is enforced by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and the California AG. The CPRA's expansion of sensitive personal information protections to include precise geolocation creates heightened obligations for Waze given its core location data collection. The right to opt out of sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising (distinct from sale) was introduced by CPRA and became fully effective January 2023. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. Compliance teams must verify that Waze's opt-out mechanism for sharing of personal information (including sensitive geolocation data) is operational, prominently disclosed, and technically effective across all third-party advertising and analytics integrations. The non-discrimination provision must also be operationally verified. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: California is the primary jurisdiction; however, similar rights frameworks are in effect or pending in Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), and other states, creating a multi-state compliance obligation that may require a unified privacy rights request mechanism. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Contracts with advertising and analytics technology vendors receiving California user data should include CPRA-compliant service provider or contractor terms, including prohibitions on using the data for the vendor's own commercial purposes and obligations to honor opt-out signals. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should audit the technical implementation of the California opt-out mechanism, confirm that Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals are honored where required, and verify that the sensitive personal information (precise geolocation) opt-out path is distinct from and at least as prominent as the general opt-out. Annual CCPA training and data mapping updates should incorporate any changes to Waze's advertising technology integrations.
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This provision establishes California-specific statutory rights under CCPA and CPRA, including the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, which is particularly significant given Waze's third-party advertising data sharing practices.
California residents have an enforceable right to opt out of Waze sharing their personal information (including location and behavioral data) with advertising partners; exercising this right requires submitting a request through the mechanism described in the policy and does not affect core navigation functionality.
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