Location Data Protection Crucial To National Security, Data Sovereignty - Expert

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- Location data is more than just travel information, as it can reveal individuals' movement patterns, particularly those of civil servants and national leaders, making its protection crucial to cybersecurity and national data sovereignty.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Assistant Vice-Chancellor of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and Dean of the School of Computing (SOC), Professor Dr Osman Ghazali, said the ban on civil servants using the Waze navigation application for official duties was a preventive measure to minimise the risk of sensitive information being exposed.

 “In the context of cybersecurity, we must view location data as sensitive information because it can reveal an individual’s movement patterns, especially those of people holding key positions,” he said when appearing on Bernama TV’s Fokus 15 programme, titled “Navigation Apps: Is Our Data Safe?” today.

He said preventive measures should be prioritised in cybersecurity risk management to protect sensitive information from potential threats, rather than taking action only after a breach or data leak had occurred.

Osman clarified that the prohibition applied to civil servants carrying out official duties, while members of the public remained free to choose their preferred navigation applications for personal use.

He advised users to review their smartphone privacy settings, particularly the location access permissions granted to individual applications, to minimise the exposure of personal data.

“Users should change their location permission settings from ‘Always Allow’ to ‘Only While Using the App’, ensuring that an application can access their location only when it is actively being used,” he said.

He also cautioned that the "Invisible Mode" feature in navigation applications did not necessarily prevent service providers from collecting users' movement data, as it merely concealed their vehicle icons from other users on the public map.

He advised users to periodically delete their search and trip histories, disconnect unnecessary social media account links, and keep their device operating systems updated to strengthen personal data protection.

On the potential of local navigation applications such as TuJu, Osman said such initiatives could strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty, but their adoption would depend on their ability to provide services comparable to those of existing applications.

“Local applications must not only be accurate in terms of navigation, but also capable of providing real-time traffic information, operating stably, and ensuring the security of user data,” he said.

He said such applications should provide accurate estimated arrival times, suggest suitable alternative routes, and remain stable even when faced with sudden surges in user numbers.

On security, he said data protection must be prioritised through robust encryption, secure data storage management and compliance with relevant laws.

Osman also proposed incorporating features tailored to Malaysian users' needs, including highway traffic updates, toll plaza information, rest and service areas (R&R), electric vehicle (EV) charging station locations, flood alerts and an emergency assistance button.

He said a key challenge in encouraging users to switch to local applications was their familiarity with existing platforms. Therefore, technological improvements, the involvement of local experts and user feedback were essential to enhancing performance and public confidence.

Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a ban on the use of Waze by civil servants.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the measure was intended to protect government information and users' personal data from the risk of misuse by the Israeli regime.

-- BERNAMA