A French sailor's use of a fitness app has exposed the location of France's aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean, raising serious security concerns amid rising tensions in the West Asia region, a report from a French newspaper said.
Key Points
- A French naval officer's fitness app activity exposed the real-time location of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
- The leak occurred after the officer logged a publicly visible workout using a smartwatch on March 13.
- The data revealed the carrier's position near Cyprus, posing a serious operational security risk.
- Similar geotagged posts from other French Navy personnel suggest a broader pattern of digital security lapses.
- The incident comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia, increasing the strategic sensitivity of such leaks.
A French naval officer's fitness app activity has exposed the real-time location of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean, in what has been described as a major security lapse amid rising tensions in the West Asia region, according to Le Monde.
A French sailor's use of a fitness app has exposed the location of France's aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean, raising serious security concerns amid rising tensions in the West Asia region, the report from the French newspaper said.
According to Le Monde, the exact position of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was revealed after a naval officer logged a workout on his public profile on a fitness app, allowing anyone to track the vessel in real time.
The report said the sailor used a smartwatch to record a 36-minute run on March 13, covering more than four miles on the carrier's deck.
The data placed the nearly 900-foot ship in the Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus, about 62 miles off the Turkish coast.
The incident took place around two weeks after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and shortly after France announced the carrier's deployment on March 3.
The app that the French sailor used is reported to have around 120 million users worldwide and allows runners and cyclists to log and share their workouts online, including location data.
The feature has often raised concerns over operational security when used by military personnel.
Sharing geotagged workouts pose major threat
The French newspaper further said that at least one other public profile has been sharing geotagged workouts from another French Navy ship on an active mission.
These posts included images of the deck, crew member, and onboard exercise equipment.
US President Donald Trump has urged allied nations to strengthen protection of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade route under threat due to escalating tensions in the Gulf.
France has faced similar issues in the past.
Security personnel linked to Emmanuel Macron, as well as those connected to US and Russian leaders, have previously used the app in ways that exposed sensitive information. In one such instance, a security agent linked to a US presidential visit publicly shared a running route, which allowed observers to identify the location linked to the visit.
Responding to the latest incident, the French Armed Forces General Staff told Le Monde that the sailor violated digital security rules by sharing his run and said that "appropriate measures will be taken by the command."
One-way attack (OWA) drones had previously attacked the British base in Cyprus.
According to a Reuters report that cited Cyprus officials, the attack was targeted at the base of the United States' principal ally, the United Kingdom, and was most likely carried out by Iranian-backed Hezbollah using an Iranian Shahed series drone.
Following that, the United Kingdom mobilised SAM systems, helicopters, and a warship, HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, to Cyprus.
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