We wanted to provide some additional context about the changes to our API Agreement and the impact it will have on our users and developers. We currently estimate that these changes will impact less than .1% of applications and that most of those affected will have been proactively notified last week.
Advanced privacy and user controls
Privacy and user control are at the forefront of our platform. As a result, we are committed to evolving our API practices as regulatory requirements and user expectations change. This includes the decision to limit the ability of third-party apps to display user data in a way the user might not expect. In particular, we want to thoughtfully address situations where users connect to a third-party app and are unaware that their data is being accessed not only for their own use and visibility, but that of other users. Also appearing for (for example, in a public feed or heatmap). The latest API changes address this scenario and provide a more consistent framework for Strava user data.
AI model training
We believe in the potential of AI to transform the athlete experience – whether it's providing more personalized insights to help you reach your goals, generating route or training recommendations, or countless other possibilities. But innovation in this area must be handled responsibly and with a strong focus on user control. As part of our Generative AI features, we are committed to implementing thoughtful solutions that prioritize user control and the ability to opt out.
Third-party developers cannot take such a deliberate approach to training AI models and as a result, we believe the best decision for the platform and users is to ban the use of data extracted from Strava users in this way. Have to put it. Our previous terms already disallowed the use of Strava user data in model training and development, but in light of increased activity in this area we have made this more explicit.
No impact on most developers
We believe our platform thrives because of the creativity and dedication of third-party developers who create tools to complement and extend Strava's capabilities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering this ecosystem. We estimate that these changes will affect only a small portion (less than .1%) of applications on the Strava platform – the majority of existing use cases are still allowed, including coaching platforms focused on providing feedback to users. And helpful tools are also included. Users understand their data and performance.