Location of world leaders including Putin, Trump and Macron ‘revealed by security teams’ Strava

Some of the world’s most prominent leaders were followed online through a fitness app used by their bodyguards, an investigation has found.

A report from the French newspaper Le Monde said several U.S. Secret Service agents the Strava fitness app, which has revealed highly confidential movements of the US president Joe Bidenpresidential rivals Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and others world leaders.

The investigation also identified Strava users among the security staff of French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Strava is a popular app among runners and cyclists, which allows users to record and share their physical activities within a community.

In one case, Le Monde tracked the Strava activity of Macron’s bodyguards, which revealed that the French president had spent a weekend in Honfleur, a seaside resort in Normandy, in 2021 – a private trip that had not been made public 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 for a while in San Francisco. Talks are on the cards with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023. A few hours before Biden’s arrival, the officer went jogging from the hotel and used Strava to track his route.

In a statement to the newspaper, the Secret Service said its personnel are not allowed to use personal electronic devices while on duty during protective assignments, but that “we do not prohibit the personal use of social media by an off-duty employee.”

It continued: “Affected staff have been notified. We will review this information to determine if additional training or guidance is needed. We do not assess that there was any impact on protective operations or threats to any protected persons,” it added. Locations “are announced regularly as part of public planning releases.”

The newspaper identified 26 American agents, 12 members of the French GSPR (the Security Group of the Presidency of the Republic) and six members of the Russian FSO (Federal Protection Service) responsible for presidential security, all with public profiles on Strava, who effectively shared their locations. online, even during official trips.

Macron’s office said on Monday that the consequences of the problems reported by Le Monde “are very minor and in no way affect the security of the President of the Republic.” But it added: “The Chief of Staff nevertheless sent a reminder to officers asking them not to use this app.”

It is for security reasons Le Monde chose not to reveal the names of the bodyguards.