Waze
AI Products Detected
Legal Bases for AI
The policy describes functionalities such as personalization, route optimization, drive predictions, ETA personalization, fraud detection, and automated security threat blocking, which are typically powered by advanced algorithms and machine learning. However, it does not explicitly use the terms 'AI' or 'machine learning'.
more complex things like monitoring traffic so you know when to leave
features which are meant to personalize your experience. This includes things like finding you the preferred route and proposing favorites or destinations commonly traveled by you to streamline your search and travel.
Waze may use your route information to improve the accuracy of its mapping and navigation data.
Based on your activity and settings on the Services we may also suggest to you drive predictions, common destinations, and personalize your ETA.
To detect abuse and illegal activity; to detect and prevent fraud, misappropriation, infringements, identity theft and other illegal activities and misuse of the Services;
The insights we gain from maintaining our services help us detect and automatically block security threats from ever reaching you.
Personalizing user experience, suggesting routes, destinations, and ETAs based on past activity and preferences.
features which are meant to personalize your experience. This includes things like finding you the preferred route and proposing favorites or destinations commonly traveled by you to streamline your search and travel.
Suggesting drive predictions, common destinations, and personalizing ETA.
Based on your activity and settings on the Services we may also suggest to you drive predictions, common destinations, and personalize your ETA.
Detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, illegal activity, misappropriation, infringements, and identity theft.
To detect abuse and illegal activity; to detect and prevent fraud, misappropriation, infringements, identity theft and other illegal activities and misuse of the Services;
Automatically detecting and blocking security threats.
The insights we gain from maintaining our services help us detect and automatically block security threats from ever reaching you.
Improving the accuracy of mapping and navigation data using route information.
Waze may use your route information to improve the accuracy of its mapping and navigation data.
Targeting and personalizing ads based on current activity, location, destination, and past activity.
The information and advertisements that you see when accessing the Services may be targeted on the basis of your current Waze activity, such as information about your location and your destination, as well as contextual information based on your current drive session.
The policy describes extensive personalization of the user experience, including route suggestions, drive predictions, and personalized ads. While it doesn't explicitly mention automated decision-making with significant legal or similar effects, the level of personalization and profiling for advertising and navigation suggests a medium impact on user experience and data usage.
The policy explicitly states that Waze works with 'entities that belong to the Google group of companies' and 'other Google services (such as Google Ads, Google Doubleclick Bid Manager)' for advertising and ad measurement purposes, involving sharing of identifiers and activity data. This indicates the use of third-party services, likely involving AI/ML for ad personalization and measurement.
The policy states that Waze uses personal data like route information to 'improve the accuracy of its mapping and navigation data' and 'optimize product design'. While these activities often involve machine learning, the policy does not explicitly state that personal data is used for *training* AI models.
Waze may use your route information to improve the accuracy of its mapping and navigation data.
We use data for analytics and measurement to understand how our services are used. For example, we analyze data about your usage of the Services to do things like optimize product design.
User interaction data is collected and used for personalization and service improvement. However, the policy does not explicitly state that this data is used for *training* AI or machine learning models.
We collect information about your activity in the Services, which we use to provide you with the Services of Waze, including features which are meant to personalize your experience.
We use data for analytics and measurement to understand how our services are used. For example, we analyze data about your usage of the Services to do things like optimize product design.
Publicly shared information is used to improve maps and traffic data. While this improvement could involve ML, the policy does not explicitly state that public content is used for *training* AI models. It mentions providing aggregated/anonymous GPS information to map editors, which is not necessarily AI training.
The Services are based on a community of users publicly sharing information with Waze and with other members of that community.
For example, GPS information that we receive from your mobile device may be provided to map editors in an aggregated and/or anonymous form to help improve the map and solve map problems, and traffic data may be provided to cities.
Waze shares data with Google group companies and other partners for advertising and measurement. However, the policy does not explicitly state that this data is shared for the purpose of *training* AI models by these third parties.
Waze does not sell, rent or lease your personal information to third parties.
Waze may also share personal information with companies or organizations connected or affiliated with Waze, such as subsidiaries, sister-companies and parent companies (i.e. entities that belong to the Google group of companies);
We work with other Google services (such as Google Ads) for advertising and ad measurement purposes. We may share information, such as a unique identifier for advertising (i.e, Advertising ID available on Android mobile devices or similar technologies) with Google for such purposes.
Waze collects highly sensitive personal data, including detailed location and travel history, which is extensively shared with its parent company Google and numerous advertising partners. While the company supports GDPR/CCPA and offers account deletion, the scope of data collection and sharing for advertising purposes presents a notable privacy risk.
Recommended Actions
Review and adjust your privacy settings within the Waze app to limit data sharing and personalization features.
Be aware of the extensive collection of your location and travel history, and consider the implications of this data being shared with third parties for advertising.
Utilize the in-app or website account deletion function if you decide to stop using the service to remove associated data.
Consider using privacy-focused navigation alternatives if you are highly concerned about location data sharing with advertising partners.