20 votes

The Strava problem: how the fitness app was used to locate the world’s most powerful people

9 comments

  1. [9]
    BeanBurrito
    Link
    I remember reading something a few years ago about how the US Army had to regulate those Apple fitness monitors/watches. They were used to locate US Forces in the Iraqi dessert.

    I remember reading something a few years ago about how the US Army had to regulate those Apple fitness monitors/watches. They were used to locate US Forces in the Iraqi dessert.

    16 votes
    1. [8]
      turmacar
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I believe that was also Strava. People started noticing anonymous routes being run in the middle of nowhere and then it turned out there were military bases there. I'd say it's weird how often...

      I believe that was also Strava. People started noticing anonymous routes being run in the middle of nowhere and then it turned out there were military bases there.

      I'd say it's weird how often this seems to happen but I've worked IT.

      28 votes
      1. [2]
        BeanBurrito
        Link Parent
        I can remember working out in my college gym, no windows, no music, no monitors. A lot of this stuff is unnecessary and just puts your privacy at risk. I'm waiting for the inevitable articles...

        I can remember working out in my college gym, no windows, no music, no monitors. A lot of this stuff is unnecessary and just puts your privacy at risk. I'm waiting for the inevitable articles about insurance companies using FitBit data against people.

        10 votes
        1. Sodliddesu
          Link Parent
          Hahaha, my health insurance offers a Fitbit as a "reward" if you sign up for their wellness app and such. I know it's inevitable but at the same time hilarious to see in real time.

          Hahaha, my health insurance offers a Fitbit as a "reward" if you sign up for their wellness app and such. I know it's inevitable but at the same time hilarious to see in real time.

          8 votes
      2. [5]
        updawg
        Link Parent
        This stuff is mentioned in the article. I don't really see why it's such a big deal to locate world leaders... it's not like we don't know where they are. The article discusses how they could...

        This stuff is mentioned in the article.

        I don't really see why it's such a big deal to locate world leaders... it's not like we don't know where they are. The article discusses how they could figure out which hotel a meeting was in. They probably already knew before doing any research. I'm assuming that's why "Macron’s office said his security wasn’t affected."

        4 votes
        1. Greg
          Link Parent
          I can see it being one of those things that doesn’t particularly matter except for the 1% of times that it really, really does: visits by wartime leaders that aren’t announced ahead of time for...

          I can see it being one of those things that doesn’t particularly matter except for the 1% of times that it really, really does: visits by wartime leaders that aren’t announced ahead of time for security reasons, early stage talks between hostile countries that don’t want to acknowledge that they’re negotiating until they’ve got the shape of an agreement, that kind of thing.

          And you’d probably be right to say “well of course everyone’s on double secure best behaviour in those cases”, but then articles like this are one of the ways that things get bumped up from “best practice” to the “don’t fucking do that, not even if you’re off duty, not even if it says it’s anonymous, if a newspaper can figure it out then what do you think a real security threat could manage?!” list.

          9 votes
        2. [3]
          AugustusFerdinand
          Link Parent
          It's about ease of access to the data. Yes, countries with competent intelligence agencies likely know where every world leader is on any given day. Homegrown terrorists or would-be assassins do...

          It's about ease of access to the data. Yes, countries with competent intelligence agencies likely know where every world leader is on any given day. Homegrown terrorists or would-be assassins do not, but a little effort and a popular app leaking the data can give these low-tech moment-of-opportunity bad actors the opening they've been waiting for.

          3 votes
          1. [2]
            updawg
            Link Parent
            Honestly, it feels much harder to figure out which Strava accounts to stalk than it does to just search for recent news about a political figure to see where they are going. If they're really such...

            Honestly, it feels much harder to figure out which Strava accounts to stalk than it does to just search for recent news about a political figure to see where they are going. If they're really such small scale actors, they aren't going to be traveling around just because they saw that a bodyguard went on a run that started and ended at the same hotel. They'll just wait until the president comes to their area.

            1 vote
            1. AugustusFerdinand
              Link Parent
              You seem to be missing the point. Announced visits are higher profile and come with higher than normal security. Unannounced visits carry the opposite. You track the Strava accounts that show up...

              You seem to be missing the point.
              Announced visits are higher profile and come with higher than normal security.
              Unannounced visits carry the opposite.
              You track the Strava accounts that show up in the same place as the world leader you would like to harm.
              You see the Strava accounts are well outside an area they usually are, check news for announced visit of world leader, notice there isn't one.
              Unannounced visit is lower profile, lower security, higher chance of success.

              1 vote