French media reports indicate that a member of the French Navy published the location of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle through his public profile on the Strava fitness tracking app while tracking his running route.
Le Monde reported that the sergeant was running in circles aboard a moving vessel on March 13 in open sea northwest of Cyprus, and satellite images confirmed the presence of the aircraft carrier nearby at that time. This same user had also logged a running activity in Copenhagen, Denmark, in late February, accessed via a bridge from Malmö, Sweden, where the Charles de Gaulle was docked at that time.
France dispatched the Charles de Gaulle and a fleet of frigates to the Mediterranean at the beginning of March, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and escalating conflict in the Middle East. It has been in the Eastern Mediterranean since March 9 as part of what Emmanuel Macron described as a “purely defensive” posture to support France’s allies.
The French Armed Forces stated that appropriate measures would be taken if the reports are proven accurate, noting that naval personnel are regularly reminded of the security risks posed by the use of such apps.
This is not the first time fitness maps and apps have disclosed sensitive information; in 2024, Le Monde reported that personal security guards for presidents, including those for Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden, accidentally revealed their locations while escorting them. Strava maps in 2018 also revealed the locations of US and allied military personnel in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, including paths that appeared to show troop movements outside bases, which could be exploited for planning attacks or ambushes.