An investigation by the French newspaper Le Monde has revealed that the movements of high-profile leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, his political counterparts Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and others, can be tracked through a fitness app frequently used by their bodyguards.
The app in question, Strava, is popular among runners and cyclists who use it to log workouts and share activity details. Although the U.S. Secret Service acknowledged that some agents use the app, they stated that it does not believe this has compromised the protection provided to its high-profile charges.
Le Monde’s findings, published in both French and English, included instances of Secret Service agents utilizing Strava even recently, after two alleged assassination attempts targeting Trump. Strava’s data-sharing features enable users to trace activity locations, and the investigation showed this could inadvertently reveal the locations of leaders’ security teams.
Tracking Movements of Macron and Putin’s Security Teams
The investigation extended beyond U.S. leaders. Le Monde discovered Strava activity among the security teams of French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In one instance, Strava data allowed the newspaper to determine that Macron’s bodyguards had accompanied him to Honfleur, a Normandy seaside town, for a private weekend in 2021—an unofficial trip not disclosed on the president’s schedule.
Pinpointing Locations of Melania Trump and Jill Biden’s Security
The investigation also noted that Strava data could pinpoint the movements of security teams assigned to former First Lady Melania Trump and current First Lady Jill Biden. Responding to this, the Secret Service clarified that while personnel are prohibited from using personal devices on duty, it does not restrict off-duty use of apps like Strava.
Unintentional Location Revelations
In another example, Le Monde reported that an agent’s Strava data disclosed a hotel in San Francisco where Biden was set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023. Hours before Biden’s arrival, the agent reportedly tracked his jogging route from the hotel, inadvertently revealing the hotel’s location in the app.
These findings have raised questions about digital privacy and the potential security risks posed by fitness tracking apps when used by officials or individuals close to high-profile figures. Strava, like other social fitness platforms, tracks routes and geolocation data, which can unintentionally expose sensitive information if privacy settings are not carefully managed.
