tech
US Fitness App Exposes Location of French Aircraft Carrier
Le Monde traced the 262-meter warship using satellite imagery guided by Strava data
TL;DR
- A French Navy officer's smartwatch activity on the Strava app revealed the location of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
- Le Monde used publicly available Strava data and satellite imagery to identify the warship's position.
- The incident occurred while the aircraft carrier was deployed toward Cyprus in response to the US-Israeli war against Iran.
- Security concerns regarding fitness apps and military personnel have been raised previously, notably in 2018 with Strava's 'Global Heatmap'.
- The French Armed Forces General Staff labeled the case a breach of operational security rules.