Strava and Privacy

[Peter Salt]

Basic common sense applies when using the Internet. You wouldn't walk around outside with your name and address listed on your back - the same is true for virtual space. For Strava, using your real name, not setting privacy zones or having your activities crop start and finish (or hide the map altogether) by default is just poor management of your own information.

 

[Alex321]

I wasn't aware of that.

I found Flyby a bit creepy and couldn't see a legitimate use for it.

It can be interesting to see what other cyclists you passed or were passed by were doing.

And I have a couple of times used it to find people I have joined up with ad hoc for a part of the ride, with both of us following each other afterwards.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have had a quick look and not seen anything abut the zone being removed

anyone seen anything official??

Thanks

 

[Alex321]

I have had a quick look and not seen anything abut the zone being removed

anyone seen anything official??

Thanks

Nope. And I can't find any news stories relating to it either. @Sallar55 hasn't come back to say where he heard it, so we are none the wiser.

 

[Sallar55]

It was when this popped up.

 

[Alex321]

It was when this popped up.

Thanks.

Found that post now - full link to it here https://stories.strava.com/articles/new-share-activities-routes-and-events-with-content-previews

It isn't clear just how it works, and I don't really want to experiment with other people's data to find out.

This is present in the website now, not sure how long it may have been there for.

 

[Venod]

Looks like private is going. Now your follower can let others see your activities.

if you set your privacy settings to " followers only" and a follower shares your ride with somebody who is not a follower of you they won't be able to see your ride.
If you want to appear on leader boards etc, you have to let everyone see your activity.

 

[DogmaStu]

If people are working out where you live using Strava then it is User error! No excuses. Same with any social media. Of course if people are lazy and don't take the time to understand the media they are using then they could be more vulnerable in terms of privacy.

Strava is easy to set up:
1. Ensure Followers have to ask permission first so that you only approve those you know - don't treat it as a fan-base for all to follow.
2. Hide start and finish points.
3. No flyby's.
4. Only start your ride a mile or so from your home. Call it part of the warm-up and don't count it as part of your ride on Strava.
5. Optional extras: Don't ride the same route at the same time every day. Don't post photos. Don't list your bikes on your Profile. (I do post photos and real bike list on my profile but adhere to the stuff above).

 

[Alex321]

If people are working out where you live using Strava then it is User error! No excuses. Same with any social media. Of course if people are lazy and don't take the time to understand the media they are using then they could be more vulnerable in terms of privacy.

Strava is easy to set up:
1. Ensure Followers have to ask permission first so that you only approve those you know - don't treat it as a fan-base for all to follow.
2. Hide start and finish points.
3. No flyby's.
4. Only start your ride a mile or so from your home. Call it part of the warm-up and don't count it as part of your ride on Strava.
5. Optional extras: Don't ride the same route at the same time every day. Don't post photos. Don't list your bikes on your Profile. (I do post photos and real bike list on my profile but adhere to the stuff above).

2 is the only vital one of those.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I’ve just had a play with sharing on Strava. For me the share buttons don’t even show for activities set as Only You or Followers so nothing really different to what it is now.

I only ever set activities public when its, say, a Sportive or Marathon taking place well away from home.

 

[steverob]

As far as I'm aware, the "Share" buttons have actually been there for a very long time, the only changes are a) they're promoting the use of them and b) Strava has changed the format of the post that it shares so it looks better on social media (a map or a photo rather than just a text link). There's nothing particularly nefarious going on - or at least no more than normal anyway!

And as @Regular.Cyclist says above, if the permissions on your ride is not set to "Everyone" then the sharing buttons won't even appear in the first place.

 

[Sallar55]

That's good news , did not like the ( share someone's activity) . Strava wants everyone connected together, why would I want to follow someone who is following a follower. If you click on them all it would be thousands after a while.

 

[cougie uk]

If nicking bikes was as easy as joining Strava we wouldn't have kids on mopeds stealing them at knife point.

Obviously don't advertise where you live but I don't think bike thieves are as sophisticated as people think.

 

[craigwend]

Though 'interestingly'...

https://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/a45676230/strava-running-app-explained/#

 

[Alex321]

I’ve just had a play with sharing on Strava. For me the share buttons don’t even show for activities set as Only You or Followers so nothing really different to what it is now.

I only ever set activities public when its, say, a Sportive or Marathon taking place well away from home.

Yes, I'd just realised from scrolling through my feed that the share dropdown is missing from those I follow who don't have their activities vi8sible to everyone. And the share button missing if you click through to that activity.

So as you say, you can only share things that are already visible to everybody.