An investigation has uncovered that Swedish bodyguards inadvertently disclosed the private locations of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and the royal family through fitness app Strava, prompting significant security concerns in a country already on high alert.
Security Breach: Fitness App Reveals Confidential Locations of Swedish Leaders
Security Breach: Fitness App Reveals Confidential Locations of Swedish Leaders
Bodyguards for Sweden's royal family and Prime Minister inadvertently exposed sensitive locations via Strava, raising serious security concerns.
Swedish officials are grappling with a significant security breach following an investigation revealing that bodyguards for the royal family and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson shared sensitive location data through the fitness app Strava. This popular app, known for tracking and sharing workout routes, has become a contentious topic regarding data privacy, particularly among security personnel.
The analysis by the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter indicated that over 1,400 workouts from a select group of bodyguards were tracked and traced back to sensitive locations. These included running trails in Central Park to remote areas along Ukraine's border and even military locations in Mali. Alarmingly, the data disclosed the location of Prime Minister Kristersson's private residence, as well as details of private vacations taken with his wife.
Despite the Prime Minister's personal discretion regarding his activity sharing on the app, the actions of his bodyguards inadvertently provided a clear view of his routines. The revelations came at a time when Sweden was also dealing with security issues concerning acts of sabotage aimed at its undersea cables.
Dagens Nyheter further reported that the data suggested the location of an unannounced high-level meeting in Norway involving Mr. Kristersson along with leaders from Norway and Finland. The revelation of other political figures' routines, including two former prime ministers and the opposition leader, created more alarm about their safety and the potential risks involved.
One notable incident linked to the data was a bodyguard's recorded run on a beachfront in Tel Aviv, coinciding with a previously undisclosed visit by Jimmie Akesson, the head of the Sweden Democrats party.
Amidst the concerns raised, the Prime Minister’s office refrained from commenting about security implications related to the data disclosure. This incident underscores the need for increased awareness and caution among security personnel about the implications of social-sharing applications.
