Hopefully the US Government has sent a National Security letter to the owners of US company Strava Inc due to Strava's security and foreign intelligence value.
Real time or retrospective Government use of Strava data, mixed with other government AI technology might be of US domestic security value and value collecting foreign intelligence.
These angles were, of corse, not highlighted in the latest security breaches by French submariners at the ILE LONGUE SSBN Base in Brest, Brittany, France in 2024-to January 2025 [1] [2] and [3].
The security and foreign intelligence values were more obvious in the 2018 series of disclosures [4] and [5]. For example Wired [4] noted on January 29, 2018:
"But
addressing the security risks highlighted by Strava will require much more than
simply updating a few policies. A world dominated by the rise of social media,
the growing availability of commercial satellite and drone imagery, and
increasing usage of smartphones [now miniaturized to Smartwatches] necessitates
an entirely new cultural mentality."
Due to advances in very small microphones, WiFis, mobile tower and GPS tracking any watch may now be a potential security risk. This of course includes smartwatches, but also standard/"dumb" battery watches and even old fashioned non-electric watches (in which an incredibly small battery and microphone may have been secretly inserted).
Those at risk may be those with access to the most sensitive information. If targeted any watch they bring to international, Cabinet or TS level meetings may be a "bug" and/or tracker.
But it is easy to claim "a watch might not have the transmitting power" to send information to intelligence receivers.
However, think about your cell phone. If doctored (even by transmitted spyware), along with your watch (spyware or physical insertion) your cell phone may be the receiver/booster of your watch's real time or subsequently downloaded weak signals. This can happen outside the usual public software/app parameters.
So, if you have access to sensitive information your watch-cell phone combination might be a security risk.
The solution? Not only should you not bring your phone to a sensitive meeting but don't bring any type of watch. Best if any type of watch you have, is regularly swept (alongside your phone) for odd electronic emission activity.
[3] https://www.eurasiantimes.com/french-nuclear-submarines-stealth-mode/
[5] https://www.wired.com/story/strava-heat-map-military-bases-fitness-trackers-privacy/
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