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Le Monde: ‘Political leaders and entourage easy to track with Strava app’


The security staff of French president Emmanuel Macron, United States president Joe Biden and presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are leaking location data and other information because they use the Strava app.

Strava is a fitness tracking app which is primarily used by runners and cyclists to record their sports activities and share their achievements with the community, which counts more than 125 million users. It’s also a way to disclose a user’s location.

French newspaper Le Monde found out that at least twelve members of the Group de Sécurité de la Présidence de la République (GSPR) shared their location via Strava. Following their location means that users can also follow the whereabouts of president Macron.

For example, Le Monde discovered that the French president spent a weekend in the Normandy seaside resort of Honfleur in 2021. That trip was meant to be private and therefore wasn’t listed on the president’s agenda. But because a member of the security detail used a public Strava account during the trip, it was easy to track him.

In another example, the French newspaper found out that US president Biden was staying in a hotel in San Francisco for a meet-and-greet with Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2023. A few hours before the arrival of president Biden, a security guard went out for a jog and used Strava to share his location.

Using this method, Le Monde was able to track the whereabouts of Melania Trump, Jill Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

In addition to location data, security staff members also share information about themselves via the Strava app, including their address, photos of their family and hobbies. This kind of information could pose a serious security risk for their mission, their identity and even their safety and the person they are meant to protect, Le Monde argues.

In a statement to Le Monde, the US Secret Service said its staff members aren’t allowed to use personal electronic devices during a protective assignment. “But we do not prohibit an employee’s personal use of social media off-duty,” a spokesperson told the newspaper.

Macron’s office said that the protection of the president wasn’t compromised in any way. “A reminder was nevertheless issued to agents by the chief of staff asking them not to use this app,” Macron’s office added.


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