The movements of some of the world’s most prominent leaders were tracked online through a fitness app used by their bodyguards, an investigation has found.

A report from the French newspaper The World said several U.S. Secret Service agents were using the Strava fitness app, which revealed the highly confidential movements of the US president Joe Bidenpresidential rival Donald Asset and Kamala Harris and others world leaders.

The investigation also identified Strava users among the security personnel of French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Strava is a popular app among runners and cyclists, which allows users to record and share their physical activities within a community.

In one case, Le Monde tracked the Strava activity of Macron’s bodyguards, revealing that the French president had spent a weekend in Honfleur, a Normandy seaside resort, in 2021 – a private trip that was not publicly disclosed in its official program.

The report further states that the locations of former first lady Melania Trump and current first lady Jill Biden could be identified by monitoring the Strava profiles of their security teams.

The U.S. Secret Service told the newspaper it did not believe the protection it provides was compromised in any way.

In another example, Le Monde used an agent’s Strava profile to reveal the location of a hotel where Biden stayed in San Francisco during high-stakes negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023. Hours before Biden arrived, the agent went jogging from the hotel and used Strava to plot his route.

In a statement to the newspaper, the Secret Service said its personnel are not allowed to use personal electronic devices while on duty on protective missions, but “we do not prohibit an employee from using social media for personal purposes outside of working hours.

He continues: “The staff concerned have been informed. We will review this information to determine if additional training or guidance is necessary. We do not assess whether there have been impacts on protection operations or threats against protected people,” he adds. Locations “are regularly disclosed as part of public calendar releases.”

The newspaper identified 26 American agents, 12 members of the French GSPR (the Security Group of the President of the Republic) and six members of the Russian FSO (Federal Protective Service) responsible for presidential security, all with public profiles on Strava , effectively sharing their location. online, even during official trips.

Macron’s services indicated Monday that the consequences of the facts reported by Le Monde “are very slight and in no way affect the security of the President of the Republic.” But, he adds: “A reminder was nevertheless sent to the agents by the chief of staff asking them not to use this application.”

For security reasons, The World chose not to disclose the names of the bodyguards.