The existence of privacy controls is positive, but the complexity of multiple overlapping settings — including separate opt-outs for Heatmap, Flyby, and other features — means users may believe their data is private when it is still being used in ways they did not intend.
Strava collects detailed GPS location, health metrics (heart rate, HRV, VO2max), and activity data that can reveal sensitive personal information such as home address, daily routines, and health conditions. This data is used for AI model training, shared in community features like the Global Heatmap, and may be accessible to other users depending on your privacy settings. You can reduce exposure by navigating to Settings > Privacy Controls in the Strava app to set default activity visibility to 'Only Me,' disable Flyby, and request exclusion from the Global Heatmap.