Strava-using Secret Service agents inadvertently tipoff fitness app users to movements of Biden, Trump and others
The sensitive movements of President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump could be easily trackable because of Secret Service agents using the Strava fitness app, a French newspaper found Monday.
Strava, which is used by 120 million people around the world, allows runners and cyclists to log and share their workouts online. Its ability to track the movements of users previously raised alarms at the Pentagon, over concerns that soldiers using the app would reveal the locations of secret US military bases.
A recent investigation by Le Monde found some Secret Service agents active on the app, including in the weeks after the two assassination attempts against Trump.
In one instance, an agent assigned to Biden went for a jog and traced his route during the 81-year-old president’s 2023 trip to San Francisco for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The outlet was able to determine the hotel Biden was staying at during his West Coast trip based on the data that appeared on the agent’s Strava profile.
Le Monde found that the movements of former first lady Melania Trump and first lady Jill Biden could also be tracked based on Secret Service agents using Strava.
The Secret Service claims the disclosure of location information did not put protectees at any additional risk but said it is reviewing its policies.
“Affected personnel has been notified,” the agency told Le Monde in a statement. “We will review this information to determine if any additional training or guidance is required.”
“We do not assess that there were any impacts to protective operations or threats to any protectees,” the statement continued, noting that locations “are regularly disclosed as part of public schedule releases.”
Secret Service agents are not allowed to use personal electronic devices while on duty, but the agency does not “prohibit an employee’s personal use of social media off-duty,” the agency added.
In total, Le Monde found 26 Secret Service agents on Strava, sharing their movements during official business.
Dozens of bodyguards for French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin were discovered on the app as well.
In light of the investigation, Macron’s office told Le Monde that it has asked protective agents to no longer use the app.
The Secret Service has come under fire for “preventable” security failures that resulted in Trump, 78, being grazed by a sniper’s bullet during a July 13 shooting in Butler, Pa.
