Waze has a strong commitment to protecting your privacy and anonymity.
Privacy options in the client app
By default, Waze is configured to keep your details private. This protection is not perfect due to privacy leakage.
The User Manual explains the configuration settings for privacy.
Privacy Leakage
Privacy leakage is the disclosure and linking of personal information to an apparently anonymous profile. Privacy leakage is not unique to Waze. In fact Waze has very good privacy settings and policies. But they are no perfect, and some problems are inherent to any internet connected service that may contain location information, including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and your photos (which may be geotagged). The fact that Waze supports all these options compounds the problem.
Your privacy can be lost in three ways. This list is intended to be complete, but there may be other ways of compromising your privacy.
Through your actions
Through your choice of settings
Driving location
Waze is configured by default to display your location as an anonymous driver.
The location of wazers is publicly available to other wazers and on the internet, unless you choose Waze to not display your driving location. Rather than being anonymous, you can choose to have your location associated with your nickname.
To add to your privacy, the location display is delayed, so the location given is where you were 2 minutes earlier.
Even when your location is displayed anonymously, there can be privacy leakage. On long highways, isolated country roads, or when travelling at a distance from your home you will have greater privacy protection if you do not display your driving location.
Nickname
When you first install Waze you are given a random user name. If you change this user name, you may provide additional information about your identity. A first name may be enough to identify you if people observe you regularly driving to the same company location, or to the same street address. Having your company name as part of your nickname may help identify you. Using the same nickname as you use on other social networks like Twitter or Facebook may help identify you. Making a forum post using your nickname where you mention your real name or other personal information may help identify you. This personal information can then be linked to your Waze nickname and Waze identity.
You can choose to link your Waze account to Twitter. By default this will post your road reports to Twitter. You can also choose you tweet your destination, ETA and road munching reports. All of these will disclose your location and movements. By default Twitter accounts are open to the public, and now just your followers. Your Twitter profile may include personal information which can be linked to you and your Waze identity.
You can choose to link your Waze account to Facebook. By default this will show your Facebook profile picture to everyone. Facial recognition can be used to identify you. You may choose to disclose your name from Facebook (which is supposed to eb your real name). You can also choose you update Facebook with your destination, ETA and road munching reports. All of these will disclose your location and movements. Your Facebook profile may contain more information that allows you to be identified and that information linked to your Waze identity.
Foursquare
You can choose to link your Waze account to Foursquare. If you then choose Report/Check in with Foursquare, then Foursquare will disclose your locatiopn. Your settings on Foursquare may be linked to other networks such as Facebook and Twitter and update those as well. Your Foursquare image and profile and links to other social networks may allow you to be identified and that information linked to your Waze identity.
Through the normal operation of Waze
Location when driving
Choice of Nickname
Creation and editing of roads
Privacy Leakage
Practical considerations
- Most of us are not going to be the target of stalkers
- Owning a smartphone running Waze does not mean our home is much more filled with valuable possessions compared with our neighbours
- Most homes are empty while people are at work from 9am until 5pm
Using Waze adds an insignificant amount to your risk in day to day use.