Anything you add to the Waze map or report within the app (such as traffic incidents or road edits) may be publicly visible to other users and can be used by Waze and shared with third parties to improve its services.
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 that user-contributed map data and incident reports are treated as community data that may be publicly visible and commercially used, meaning contributions are not private communications but shared content subject to broad use rights.
Interpretive note: The policy does not specify whether GDPR erasure rights extend to user-contributed map data that has been incorporated into the public map, creating uncertainty about the practical scope of deletion rights for EU users.
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 →The policy states that user map contributions and incident reports may be publicly visible and shared with third parties; users who contribute location-tagged content should be aware that such contributions may be linked to their activity and disclosed beyond the Waze platform.
How other platforms handle this
Redfin may offer interactive features such as chat services, forums, and social media pages. We may collect the information you submit or make available through these features. Any content you provide on the public sections of these channels will be considered "public" and will not be subject to the...
We process the information you share with us when you create your profile or send messages. This includes photos, videos, messages, and other content you share on the platform. We may use this content to improve our services, ensure safety, and comply with legal obligations.
At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.
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"When you contribute to Waze, such as by reporting incidents, editing the map, or submitting other user-generated content, this information becomes part of the Waze community and may be publicly visible. We may use this information to improve our services and may share it with third parties.— Excerpt from Waze's Waze Privacy Policy
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: User-generated content that is location-tagged may constitute personal data under GDPR if it is linkable to an identifiable individual, requiring a lawful basis for its processing and public disclosure. CCPA personal information definitions may encompass location-tagged contributions if they are associated with a user's profile. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Low to Medium. The provision is relatively standard for community mapping platforms, but the combination of public visibility and third-party sharing of location-tagged contributions creates a potential de-anonymization risk if contributions can be correlated with user identity. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA users contributing location-tagged content should be aware that GDPR rights including erasure may apply to such contributions if they constitute personal data, though the policy does not specifically address the erasure of user contributions from public map data. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Third parties receiving map edit and contribution data should be assessed in the context of Waze's data sharing agreements to ensure that downstream use is consistent with the purposes disclosed to users. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess whether the public visibility of user contributions is adequately disclosed at the point of contribution within the app interface, and whether users can delete or correct their contributions in exercise of GDPR rights.
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This provision establishes that user-contributed map data and incident reports are treated as community data that may be publicly visible and commercially used, meaning contributions are not private communications but shared content subject to broad use rights.
The policy states that user map contributions and incident reports may be publicly visible and shared with third parties; users who contribute location-tagged content should be aware that such contributions may be linked to their activity and disclosed beyond the Waze platform.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Waze.