Weight Weenies

Strava heatmap makes the news today as it has been pointed out that military staff by posting activities to Strava reveal where they are.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42853072

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Read it on a Dutch news site as well. Those military people sure take "Strava or it didn't happen" serious
But at the same time, I wonder if Strava doesn't break some trust by using private activities in public heatmaps. Sure the data is anonymous, but as shown here can still harm people.

Also on CNN this morning!
How funny is this ?

Not sure if the US military will be happy about that and may have a "meeting" with the Strava Management .....

It would be interesting to see how much they train BTW...

seems like a policy issue with the military rather than a Strava issue

afaik private activities, while not posted, are still used in the heatmap. You have to opt out of the heatmap itself if you don't want those traces showing up.

I found an underground facility near mosul in a few minutes, understandable that they wouldn't like this being out there

https://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#16.12/ ... 27/hot/all

bilwit wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:10 pm

Seems like a policy issue with the military rather than a Strava issue

Bingo! Awareness of Operational Security (OPSEC) is every soldiers responsibility.

DurianGrey wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:25 pm

You have to opt out of the heatmap itself if you don't want those traces showing up.

No, the soldiers should not be posting/uploading to any kind of public facing social media while in the box.

Rondje wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:43 pm

But at the same time, I wonder if Strava doesn't break some trust by using private activities in public heatmaps.

Absolutely not. Strava is clear and transparent about how they use your data for heatmapping, and their privacy settings and heatmap 'opt out' feature are extremely easy to use. They also regularly prompt you to check if you want enhance your privacy settings.

Sure the data is anonymous, but as shown here can still harm people.

Because those people are being stupid Military personnel posted in dangerous areas really should know better. I'd imagine there are currently some almighty bollockings flowing down from the very top of the chain to the very bottom in numerous armed forces organisations right now...

I don’t know about Strava or the military but every time I do a search for something these days I get pounded with ads for blueberry muffins.

I love the Strava flyby feature, it's amazing, but it does make a mockery of the notion of privacy.

Miller wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 29, 2018 11:15 pm

I love the Strava flyby feature, it's amazing, but it does make a mockery of the notion of privacy.

First, Strava is a social media site. If you put up a photo on Instagram would you get pissy when someone else saw it?

Second, Strava's Flyby opt out is the second line on the privacy setting page. It takes, wait let me check... 5 mouse clicks from the dashboard to get to, change, and save that setting. Anyone showing up on Flyby who doesn't want to has only themselves to blame for being so damn lazy.

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Strava's response to the heatmap privacy "problems": https://blog.strava.com/press/a-letter- ... community/

A very respectful reaction, I think their reaction shows they take more responsibility for the problem then they should and don't just shove it off as "it's the user's responsibility".