While using Strava, users allow GPS to track their location. Members of Strava can use heatmaps to discover new trails and see how popular they are. However, researchers discovered a potential method for tracking and identifying users’ addresses by combining publicly available heatmap data from Strava with individual user information.
By analyzing the heatmap data and utilizing OpenStreetMaps, the researchers were able to identify starting and ending locations near specific residences, thereby revealing individual home addresses.
While it is concerning to think that someone could extract your home address from an app, the researchers found that the accuracy rate of the identified addresses was approximately 37.5% when compared to voter registration data.
Additionally, the researcher found out that if you live in a more populated area, the chance of getting your address found is lower than if you live in an area with fewer people, which sounds logical. Imagine you live in a place where there are just 10 to 15 houses, and only you are using Strava – well, maybe the map will lead to your front door, so you should be more careful if that is your case.
To safeguard your privacy and prevent the display of your starting and finishing points on Strava, you have the option to make adjustments:
Go to Settings, located in the upper right-hand corner.
Select “Privacy Controls” and then “Map Visibility.”
Hide the start and end points of activities originating from a specific address. You can customize the proximity range within which the activity begins or ends, with options up to a 1-mile radius.
