World leaders such as Emmanuel Macron, above, and Joe Biden can be tracked - including during private down time - by their bodyguards' Strava data, a Le Monde investigation has found.
The French newspaper was able to locate French president Macron during a trip to Normandy, which was supposed to be private, by following the Strava data of his bodyguards'.
An investigation by the newspaper - the findings of which have been presented to the authorities on both sides of the Atlantic found the movements of President Biden and presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris could all be tracked, at times.
The same was true for US First Lady Jill Biden and Melanie Trump, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While most world leaders' movements are well documented, they also keep many of their trips off diary, and away from the public eye. Some official trips are often not publicised until they are underway, in a bid to reduce the risk to their safety.
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The newspaper's findings - that bodyguards' are using Strava on settings revealing their movements - comes in a politically charged time, especially in the United States where one effort was made on Trump's life and another apparently foiled.
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Le Monde reported that, by tracking a US Secret Service member's Strava data, it was able to identity the hotel President Biden was staying in in San Francisco last year during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The agent had gone for a jog before President Biden arrived, with Strava tracking his location and route.
In total, Le Monde said its journalists were able to track 44 security agents working on security detail for the presidents of France, the US and Russia. The agents, the newspaper found, were using Strava, including on trips for work, with public accounts on the platform.
Macron’s office played down the possible security risks, describing them as minor and adding any location the French president planned to visit was checked in advance and well secured for him.
“A reminder was nevertheless issued to agents by the chief of staff asking them not to use this app," Macron’s office told Le Monde.
The newspaper's investigation also pointed out the details that could be gleaned from the agents' Strava accounts, including their full names and home locations, as well as photographs, could be used to compromise or pressure them.
The US Secret Service also moved to play down the newspaper's findings, saying its staff were not banned from using fitness apps in their own time, but were prohibited while on official protective duties.
“Affected personnel have been notified,” it said. “We will review this information to determine if any additional training or guidance is required."
