Some of the world’s most prominent leaders’ movements were tracked online through a fitness app used by their bodyguards, an investigation has suggested
A report by French newspaper Le Monde said several US Secret Service agents use the Strava fitness app, which has revealed highly confidential movements of US president Joe Biden, presidential rivals Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and other world leaders.
The investigation also identified Strava users among the security personnel for French president Emmanuel Macron and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Strava is a popular app among runners and cyclists, that enables users to log and share their physical activities within a community.
In one case, Le Monde tracked the Strava activity of Macron’s bodyguards, revealing that the French president had spent a weekend in Honfleur, a Normandy seaside resort, in 2021—a private trip that was not publicly disclosed in his official schedule.
The report further indicated that the locations of former first lady Melania Trump and current first lady Jill Biden could be identified by monitoring the Strava profiles of their security teams.
The US Secret Service told the newspaper that it did not believe the protection it provides was in any way compromised.
In another example, Le Monde used an agent’s Strava profile to reveal the location of a hotel where Biden stayed in San Francisco for high-stakes talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2023. A few hours before Biden’s arrival, the agent went jogging from the hotel and used Strava to trace his route.
In a statement to the newspaper, the Secret Service said its staff aren’t allowed to use personal electronic devices while on duty during protective assignments but “we do not prohibit an employee’s personal use of social media off-duty.”
It continued: “Affected personnel has been notified. We will review this information to determine if any additional training or guidance is required. We do not assess that there were any impacts to protective operations or threats to any protectees,” it added. Locations “are regularly disclosed as part of public schedule releases.”
The newspaper identified 26 US agents, 12 members of France’s GSPR (the Security Group of the Presidency of the Republic) and six members of Russia’s FSO (Federal Protection Service) responsible for presidential security, all with public profiles on Strava, effectively sharing their locations online, even during official trips.
Macron’s office said on Monday that the consequences of the issues reported by Le Monde “are very slight and in no way affect the security of the president of the republic.” But, it added: “A reminder was nevertheless issued to agents by the chief of staff asking them not to use this app.”
For security reasons, Le Monde chose not to disclose the bodyguards’ names.
