An inquiry conducted by the French publication Le Monde has disclosed that the secure movements of President Joe Biden, along with those of his presidential competitors Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, as well as other global leaders, can be easily traced online through the Strava fitness application utilized by their security teams.
However, the U.S. Secret Service maintains that its protective measures have not been jeopardized.
Le Monde’s investigation indicates that some agents of the U.S. Secret Service have been using Strava, even in the wake of two assassination attempts directed at Trump. This investigation, presented in both French and English, highlights Strava as a service used primarily by athletes, particularly runners and cyclists, to document their activities and share them within a community.
The report points out that Strava users include members of the security detail for both French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In one instance, the movements of Macron’s protectors were tracked on Strava during a private trip he made to the Normandy area in 2021, which was not disclosed on his official schedule.
Additionally, Le Monde noted that the locations of Melania Trump and Jill Biden could also be traced by monitoring the Strava profiles of their security personnel.
In response to the findings, the U.S. Secret Service clarified that while agents are prohibited from using personal electronic devices during their protective duties, there is no restriction on personal social media usage during off-duty hours. They stated, “Affected personnel has been notified,” and committed to reviewing the situation to ascertain whether further training or guidance is needed.
They emphasized that there have been no implications for protective operations or threats to those they guard, as locations are frequently made public through scheduled announcements.
Another highlighted point in the report was that a Strava profile of a U.S. Secret Service agent inadvertently revealed the location of a San Francisco hotel where Biden was slated to stay for crucial discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023. The agent’s jogging route was tracked just hours before Biden’s arrival at the hotel.
Le Monde’s reporters identified a total of 26 U.S. agents, along with 12 members of France’s GSPR (Security Group of the Presidency of the Republic) and 6 from Russia’s FSO (Federal Protection Service), all managing presidential security with public Strava accounts that disclosed their movements, even during official duties. For security reasons, the publication chose not to name these bodyguards.
The report warns that movements made public on Strava could present security risks, particularly when agents are deployed in advance to locations such as hotels where leaders are set to meet.
In response to the situation, Macron’s office stated that the reported issues pose minimal risk and do not impact the President’s safety. They assured that local authorities are informed ahead of the president’s movements and that the locations are secured adequately, minimizing any potential danger.
Nevertheless, the chief of staff issued a reminder to agents about the risks of using the app.
The report also emphasized that the identification of presidential bodyguards, some of whom publicly use their full names on Strava, could provide insights into their personal information, family details, and posted social media content, which could be exploited for malicious intents.