Officer’s Strava activity reveals French aircraft carrier’s location in eastern Mediterranean

A French military officer has reportedly revealed the location of an aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East after publicly recording a run on sports app Strava.The officer, whom French news outlet Le Monde identified as Arthur, performed a 35-minute run during a workout on the deck of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier on March 13. He used his smartwatch to upload activity to the app, creating a map showing the vessel’s location.According to Le Monde, the aircraft carrier is located in northwest Cyprus, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Turkish coast, and satellite images captured the aircraft carrier and its escort ships. BBC verify says it cannot find the route, although it may have since been removed or the user’s privacy settings have been changed.France’s armed forces said in a statement to AFP that the reported incident “does not comply with current instructions” and that if the reports are true, appropriate measures will be taken.The Charles de Gaulle is a major component of a carrier strike group recently deployed by the French armed forces to the Eastern Mediterranean amid ongoing tensions in the region due to the war with Iran. The ministry said the team was dispatched to “protect French nationals, defend French interests in the region and support its partners and allies”.There are 20 fighter jets, two reconnaissance aircraft and three helicopters on board. The deployment is part of France’s latest step up in its military presence in the Middle East, which French President Emmanuel Macron has described as strictly “defensive”.The incident is the latest in a series of cases where activity on Strava has exposed sensitive details. Le Monde previously reported that the whereabouts shared by Macron’s bodyguards repeatedly jeopardized his position, while Secret Service agents accompanying then-U.S. President Joe Biden also shared their whereabouts on the app in 2024.A similar report the same year said the app showed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bodyguards at luxury properties the Kremlin denied owning. Another Strava feature, “heat maps,” has also been criticized for sharing exercise routes taken by military personnel at bases around the world.The heat map displays all public activity recorded by users around the world, allowing people to zoom in and explore different areas. In 2018, the U.S. military said it was reviewing the map after security concerns were raised. The disinformation watchdog also said the app allowed suspicious individuals to identify and track security personnel working at secret Israeli bases.San Francisco-based Strava uses your phone or fitness device’s GPS to track exercise activity. The company says it has more than 195 million users in more than 185 countries.