MIVD director Reesink tracked for years via public Strava account

Peter Reesink, the director of the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), had up until this week a public account on the sports app Strava. This was reported by several outlets, including the Volkskrant. Through this account, his cycling and running routes were visible to the public for years, raising concerns about his privacy.

The publicly disclosed activities on Strava made it possible to determine his home address, as well as other personal information such as the location of his camper and his travel dates. This raises questions about potential violations of security guidelines for defense personnel.

Using a public Strava account is in violation of Defense’s guidelines that ensure the privacy and safety of their staff. Therefore, the disclosure of his activities presents a potential risk, as highlighted by various media outlets.

After inquiries from the Volkskrant, Reesink decided to set his Strava account to private. Furthermore, he submitted a request to permanently delete the account. This may be a response to the revelation of his publicly accessible information.

The matter is noteworthy given Reesink's position as head of an intelligence service, where safety and confidentiality are of utmost importance. No details have been released regarding the timeline of the revelations or potential consequences for Reesink.

This revelation has sparked a broader discussion about the privacy and safety of defense employees, but no official responses have yet been made available from Defense or the MIVD.