Waze
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- Staff may review your content; the policy does not describe an opt-out.
Waze tracks detailed location and routes, shows Google ads, takes a license on your posts, and can close you anytime.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
They collect GPS routes, device IDs, searches, ads you see, and sometimes voice, calendar, and home/work.
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Privacy policy
“Detailed location, travel and route information. Location and route information is collected for example in the form of GPS and other sensor data from your device, combined with a time-stamp, IP address”
Training
They use it for navigation, map improvement, personalization, and Google ads you can turn off.
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Privacy policy
“Depending on your settings, we may also show you personalized ads based on your interests and activity.”
Sharing
They say they do not sell data, but share with Google companies, ads tech, and other users if you post.
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Privacy policy
“Waze does not sell, rent or lease your personal information to third parties.”
Kept
Delete your account in the app; they say wiping storage usually takes about two months.
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Privacy policy
“This process generally takes around 2 months from the time the deletion request was made.”
Controls
In-app Privacy Settings let you go invisible on the map and turn off personalized ads.
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Privacy policy
“You can control your visibility on the map and manage whether the ads shown to you on Waze are personalized or not.”
Fine print
They can block you anytime; you give a license on posts; Israeli courts; as-is, you them.
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Terms of service
“Waze retains the right to block your access to the Service and discontinue your use of the Service, at any time and for any reason Waze deems appropriate, at its sole and absolute discretion.”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Turn off ads personalization
Waze in-app Privacy Settings → Ads personalization
Hide your location from other drivers
Privacy Settings → Invisible Mode
Delete your account
In-app Privacy Settings or Waze website “Delete Account”
Download a copy of your data
Waze website → Settings → Download your data archive
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Waze can keep tracking where you are even when the app is closed, depending on settings.
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Privacy policy
“we may collect information about your location and travel (or lack thereof) even when you are not using the app, to tell you when to leave for planned or predicted drives”
For example, your phone may send GPS points overnight so Waze can ping you about morning traffic.
Anything you post (reports, map edits, voice) can be used by Waze forever, including commercially, and they can it.
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Terms of service
“This license is: worldwide (valid anywhere in the world) non-exclusive (you can license your content to others) (there are no monetary fees for this license) transferable”
For example, a traffic report you typed could be reused in Google maps products without paying you.
They can shut your account with no warning and no listed reason.
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Terms of service
“Waze retains the right to block your access to the Service and discontinue your use of the Service, at any time and for any reason Waze deems appropriate, at its sole and absolute discretion.”
For example, they could lock you out of saved home/work routes without emailing you first.
If they get sued because you broke the rules, you may have to pay their legal bills.
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Terms of service
“you agree to and Waze and its employees, officers, directors and agents, as well as all third party advertisers of Ads from and against all claims, damages, expenses, losses and liabilities that arise as a result of your violation of these Terms.”
For example, a fake accident report that causes a lawsuit could leave you covering Waze’s lawyer costs.
Your Waze location and settings can go to other Google mapping and ads products.
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Privacy policy
“Waze is a Google-owned entity and may also share Personal Information with its Google affiliates, such as subsidiaries, sister-companies and parent companies that belong to the Google group of companies”
For example, routes may be used to improve Google Maps speeds and closures.
Personalized ads are on unless you switch them off in the app.
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Privacy policy
“You can control whether ads are personalized through your Waze in-app Privacy Settings–>Ads personalization.”
For example, turning that off still shows ads, just not based on your home address or past drives.
Shared voice clips can leave Waze’s control once others download them.
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Privacy policy
“If, after recording your own voice, you chose to share your voice recordings, other Waze users and other people will be able to download and use your voice recordings.”
For example, a custom navigation voice you uploaded could be copied by other drivers.
After you tap Delete Account, they aim to wipe stored data in about two months, not instantly.
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Privacy policy
“This process generally takes around 2 months from the time the deletion request was made.”
For example, route history may still sit on backup systems for weeks after you leave.
You must be at least 16; they may delete accounts they think belong to younger users.
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Terms of service
“to use our Service you must be 16 years of age or older.”
For example, a 15-year-old who downloads Waze can have the account removed without extra notice.
Big privacy changes get a 30-day heads-up in the app and on the site.
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Privacy policy
“Substantial changes will take effect 30 days after Waze has posted a: System message to users notifying them of changes to the Privacy Policy”
For example, a new ads use of location should appear as a system message before it applies.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- precise geolocation
- Your exact position, usually from GPS, often accurate to within a few metres. For example, an app can tell not just your city but which building you are in right now.
- targeted advertising
- Ads chosen for you based on what you have done across other apps and websites, not just this one. For example, you look at shoes in one app and see shoe ads in a totally different app the next day.
- sell or share
- Under California law, selling means passing your data to others for money or other value; sharing means passing it on for targeted ads. For example, letting an ad network use your browsing history in return for ad space counts as a sale.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
- royalty-free
- The company can use your content without ever paying you for it. For example, your photo can appear in the app's ads and you get nothing.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
How we got here · grade C · score 43/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 1 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect precise GPS and routes (sometimes when the app is closed), device IDs, installed apps, searches, ads interactions, and optional calendar, home/work, and voice.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
They collect voice and audio when you use those features or upload recordings, keep the files, and if you share them others can download them.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
Not stated in the documents.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They may review user-submitted content before or after it is posted, and say they usually do so only in rare cases, with no review opt-out.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
Waze uses Google advertising technology, may personalize ads from your activity and Google account, and shares campaign data with Google; you can turn personalization off.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they do not sell personal information, but share with Google affiliates, Google Ads, and service providers; personalized ads can be turned off.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership of posts, but you grant a worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable, perpetual, irrevocable commercial license.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can delete the account in Privacy Settings; they start right away and say full deletion from storage generally takes about two months.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They keep route history, home/work, and favorites tied to your account; you can view and edit them in the app or website and delete the account.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They describe access limits, physical security reviews, and confidentiality rules, but do not promise they cannot be breached.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You must be 16 or older (or higher where local law requires); they delete accounts they believe are underage, with no extra age-proof described.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The policy is dated; substantial privacy changes get 30 days’ notice via a system message and a comparison of old and new text. Continued use still counts as acceptance.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may block or discontinue your use at any time for any reason they choose, at their sole discretion.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is with broad disclaimers, and you must indemnify Waze and advertisers if you violate the terms.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
They say the service is free of charge and funded by advertising; no subscription or refund terms are described.
The privacy policy is 7,294 words at a college level (Flesch reading ease 47.2); the terms are 4,341 words at a college level.
