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An investigation by French newspaper Le Monde reveals that the secret movements of US President Joe Biden, his presidential rivals Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and other world leaders were easily accessed online through a fitness app used by his bodyguards. It turned out that it was possible to track the
However, the U.S. Secret Intelligence Service told the newspaper that it does not believe the protections it provides have been compromised in any way.
In a video investigation published in French and English, Le Monde newspaper revealed that some U.S. Secret Service agents used the fitness app Strava, including in recent weeks after two assassination attempts on President Trump. ” was revealed to be used. Strava is a fitness tracking app primarily used by runners and cyclists to log their activities and share their workouts with the community.
Le Monde also found Strava users among the security staff of French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin. For example, Le Monde tracked the Strava movements of Macron’s bodyguards and found that the French president spent a weekend in the Normandy seaside resort of Honfleur in 2021. The trip was private and not included in the president’s official itinerary.
Le Monde reported that tracking the Strava profiles of Melania Trump and Jill Biden’s bodyguards could also reveal their whereabouts.
In a statement to Le Monde newspaper, the U.S. Secret Service said that while employees are not allowed to use personal electronic devices while on duty on guard duty, “off-duty social media It is not prohibited to use it for.”
“Affected employees have been notified.” “We will review this information and determine whether additional training or guidance is required.”
“We do not assess that there is any impact on conservation activities or threat to protected persons,” it added. Locations “will be published periodically as part of the public release of schedules.”
As another example, Le Monde reported that a Strava profile of a U.S. Secret Service official later revealed that the hotel where Biden stayed in San Francisco for a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023. The location has been revealed. According to the newspaper, the man was jogging from his hotel using Strava, which tracks his route.
The newspaper’s reporters said they had identified 26 U.S. officials, 12 members of the French GSPR, the security group for the president of the republic, and six members of the Russian FSO (Federal Protection Office), all of whom are responsible for security for the president. I was doing it. We had a public account on Strava, so we communicated our movements online, even when we were on the road. Le Monde did not name the bodyguard for security reasons.
It said movements that can be tracked on Strava could lead to security breaches, especially if security personnel travel in advance to hotels or other locations where leaders are staying and holding meetings.
Macron’s office said on Monday that the impact of the problems reported by newspaper Le Monde was “very slight and does not in any way affect the security of the President of the Republic.”
Local authorities said in a statement that there was “no risk” as they were aware of Mr Macron’s movements and the places he stayed were always completely safe.
“Nonetheless, the chief of staff has issued a warning to staff not to use the app,” Macron’s office added.
Messages left with the Trump and Harris campaigns and the White House were not immediately returned Monday.
Security risks associated with fitness apps require better regulation of how tech companies can use consumer data, said Ibrahim Bigiri, a computer scientist and cybersecurity professor at Louisiana State University. It is said that this shows that.
Biggili investigation reveals how bad actors use fitness app data to track potential victims, putting them at risk of stalking, robbery and other crimes It has become.
He said consumers often give app developers the right to use or sell their data if they agree to terms of service.
“Companies love our data, we love our products, so we’re giving it away for free. Governments are starting to really crack down on how that data is used and how long it’s kept. ”.
Identifying presidential bodyguards could also help find other details about their personal addresses, families, movements, and photos they posted on various social media, all of which could be used to may be. The report stressed that the pressure was being used for malicious purposes.
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Associated Press writer David Klepper contributed from Washington.
