French newspaper Le Monde has revealed that the bodyguards of world leaders may be compromising sensitive information through the Strava. The report found that security agents for prominent figures, including U.S. President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron, used Strava to log their workouts, unwittingly disclosing leaders’ movements and locations.
Secret Service: Not-so-secret Strava accounts
Le Monde reported that Secret Service agents assigned to Biden and other high-profile figures have publicly accessible Strava profiles, making it possible to follow their routines and determine leaders’ locations during official visits. In one instance, an agent posted a run starting from a San Francisco hotel just hours before Biden arrived for talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2023. Macron’s bodyguards were similarly tracked to reveal a private weekend trip to Honfleur, a Normandy coastal town, in 2021, which was not on the French president’s official schedule.
The Great 2024 Strava Outage: The hour the world stood still
The report identified 26 U.S. Secret Service agents, 12 members of France’s Security Group of the Presidency of the Republic (GSPR), and six members of Russia’s Federal Protection Service (FSO), all with Strava profiles potentially revealing locations even during official assignments.
Putin’s palace?
According to Metro, A data leak through the Strava exercise app has revealed new insights into Vladimir Putin’s 1.7 billion clifftop palace on the Black Sea. The retreat, which the Russian dictator has always vehemently denied owning, has drawn comparisons to a James Bond villain’s lair, complete with an extravagant throne.
As far as the American Secret Service, the agency responded to Le Monde, stating: “Protective operations were not impacted, and we do not believe the protection we provide was compromised. Staff are not permitted 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. Affected personnel have been notified, and we will review this information to determine if additional training or guidance is required. Locations are regularly disclosed as part of public schedule releases.”
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