Strava has published a global heatmap; showing off all the data that it has collected from the millions of people who have used the app. While this is an impressive spread of users from across the world, it has rattled western militaries who have had supposedly secret bases exposed by personnel using the app.
The most obvious of these classified locations are those located in Afghanistan, where most of the population doesn’t use Strava. This leaves foreign military personnel lighting up suspicious looking areas out in the desert and mountains. Especially since it all looks like running tracks around buildings.
Locations in Syria have also been confirmed as belonging to the US and Russia. And some people on Twitter have pointed out activity in Somalia that corresponds to a suspected CIA base in the area.
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Layouts of bases have also been revealed, with the heatmap tracking how people walk around buildings. Observers note that the most intense activity could reveal barracks and supply lines to just about anyone who takes the time to study the public website.
Nathan Ruser, who works for the Institute for United Conflict Analysts, was the first to notice the leak. He said that “US Bases are clearly identifiable and mappable.” Also adding that it was pretty, but not good for operational security.
There is little that militaries can do about the leak. All the information is already out in the open, and anyone paying attention would have taken screenshots. Although we expect new security measures being implemented to combat this thing from repeating itself.
[Source: Strava, via The Washington Post]
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