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VergeDec 12, 2023
Report: Fitness App Strava Reveals Locations of World Leaders
Above: Strava on App Store displayed on a phone screen. Image copyright: Jakub Porzycki/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Facts
The locations of French Pres. Emmanuel Macron, former US Pres. Donald Trump, and several of the world's most prominent leaders' movements can be tracked through Strava, a fitness app that their security personnel use, a report in the French outlet Le Monde has revealed.
When the app was launched by founders Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey in 2009, it was intended as a way for athletes and fitness hobbyists to track their activities and share their accomplishments. Several years and many millions of users later, the app is facing scrutiny.
The Spin
Narrative A
This report has exposed how bad actors could use fitness app data to track potential victims. The security issues linked to Strava could not only endanger the lives of world leaders but put ordinary people at risk of crimes such as stalking and robbery.
Narrative B
It’s wrong to blame Strava, which has several privacy toggles that limit what data the public can see. This is negligence on the part of the security officials who failed to acknowledge the risks and chose not to use these privacy features.