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The terms disclose that Waze sells advertising space to businesses and uses user personal data to serve targeted ads based on user settings, and also uses personal data for service personalization such as route suggestions and arrival time estimates.
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
The terms authorize use of personal data, including location and route data, for targeted advertising and service personalization. Detailed location data used for advertising purposes engages GDPR consent and legitimate interest requirements in the EU, and CCPA opt-out rights for California residents; the document references a separate Privacy Policy for the specific data types, controls, and sharing arrangements involved.
Interpretive note: The specific data types, sharing arrangements, consent mechanisms, and user controls for advertising-related data use are deferred to a separate Privacy Policy not included in this document, limiting full assessment from this document alone.
The updated Terms now establish that you are binding yourself not only to the main Terms of Use but also to Waze's Content Moderation Policy, Community Terms, and Copyright Policy as integral parts of the agreement. This expands the set of rules you must comply with when using the Service. The revised terms also clarify that the Service is intended for users of legal driving age and explicitly describe Waze's advertising model: the Service is free because advertising revenue funds operations, and Waze uses your data to show you targeted ads, with controls available to manage ad personalization preferences.
View change record →Under these terms, Waze uses user personal data, including location and usage data, to serve targeted advertisements and to personalize service features. The terms state that controls and transparency are provided regarding ad-related data use, with further detail deferred to the separate Privacy Policy.
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"Advertising is what makes it possible to offer our Service to everyone. We make money selling ads space to businesses, and we use your data to show you ads that are useful to you, according to your settings. When we show ads, we give you transparency and controls so you can make informed decisions, e.g. about the information about you that is used to show ads. We also use your personal information to make our Service more helpful to you (for example, this is how we can suggest to you routes that fit your preferences, estimate your arrival time more accurately etc.).Excerpt from Waze's Terms of Use
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: GDPR (EU) requires a valid legal basis for processing personal data for advertising purposes, with consent typically required for behavioral or targeted advertising using location data. The CCPA and CPRA (California) provide California residents with the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. The FTC Act applies to data practices that may be unfair or deceptive. Location data used for advertising is subject to heightened sensitivity under various state privacy laws in the US. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The terms disclose that personal data is used for advertising but defer the specifics of data types, sharing arrangements, and consent mechanisms to a separate Privacy Policy that is not part of these terms. The adequacy of disclosed controls and consent mechanisms cannot be fully assessed from this document alone. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU and UK users require GDPR-compliant consent for behavioral advertising using location data. California residents have CCPA/CPRA opt-out rights for sharing of personal information for advertising. Other US state privacy laws (Virginia CDPA, Colorado CPA, Connecticut CTDPA, and others) may also provide opt-out rights for targeted advertising. Illinois BIPA is not directly implicated but other Illinois privacy statutes may apply. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: The reference to 'settings' as the mechanism for controlling ad-related data use implies user-facing controls exist, but the document does not specify the granularity or scope of those controls. Enterprise or institutional assessments of data sharing with advertising partners require review of the separate Privacy Policy and any vendor agreements. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should review the separate Privacy Policy to map the specific personal data categories used for advertising, the legal bases asserted for each jurisdiction, and the controls provided to users. Consent mechanism audits should assess whether advertising-related data processing meets applicable standards in the EU, UK, and US states. Data mapping exercises should account for location and route data flows to advertising partners.
The terms authorize use of personal data, including location and route data, for targeted advertising and service personalization. Detailed location data used for advertising purposes engages GDPR consent and legitimate interest requirements in the EU, and CCPA opt-out rights for California residents; the document references a separate Privacy Policy for the specific data types, controls, and sharing arrangements involved.
Under these terms, Waze uses user personal data, including location and usage data, to serve targeted advertisements and to personalize service features. The terms state that controls and transparency are provided regarding ad-related data use, with further detail deferred to the separate Privacy Policy.
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