- Strava is an important application and service for managing sports activities
- It is used by 120 million users and its API enables the creation of follow-on applications
- Strava has decided to restrict the API, putting some third-party apps at risk
The Strava app needs no introduction. This is one of the of the most popular applications for athletes and exercise loverswhich is used to record and share sports activities. Thanks to wide support, it has become a center for sharing data between people and comparing achievements. Strava offers an API (interface) that allows the use of its service data by other applications and services. And right now Strava has decided to change the rules for this API in a way that could have major consequences.
Diet advocates the changes protecting users’ privacy. That would be fine on its own, but Strava is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. One of the most fundamental changes prohibits the downloading of data from an account other than your own. Until now, it was possible for the user to allow the sharing of their own data. That won’t be possible now. Each user will only be able to view their own data. Note: we are talking about API capabilities for third-party applications. Strava can offer similar functionality.
However, thanks to the sharing of data, various statistics, rankings, and application for trainerswho could monitor the performances of their wards. Some colleges they use Strava to monitor prescribed performance in physical education subjects. All of this is likely to be made impossible by the new rules.
In addition to this change Strava still banned the use of data for training artificial intelligence. It is not clear to me why exactly this is mentioned, because the previous change already makes it impossible to obtain meaningful data. If it is possible to leave process artificial intelligence owns the data, it is not clear from the terms. Another change is the requirement that it be clearly separated when the user uses Strava and when another application. Third-party applications they may not copy Strava’s user interface or features.
The new rules apply from November 11 and the developers were given just a month to incorporate them. That’s really not a lot of time, especially when it’s an app that someone made in their spare time. It can be expected that some applications will limit their functionality or even disappear completely. It is also possible to move users to another platform.
On the forum, where by the way Strava has banned posts criticizing this decision or calling for it to be changed, there is a post at the time of writing that says: “We’re not going to lie to each other… you’re getting my data for FREE, so I can use you for FREE too.”
Do you use the Strava app to share data?
Source: www.svetandroida.cz
