- Strava has made some big changes to its API
- Users are upset and angry because they preclude third-party apps from using a lot of Strava data
- Some have warned it could destroy the app ecosystem built up around Strava
Strava says that less than .1% of applications will be affected by a major change to its API (application programming interface) agreement, following user backlash to a series of proposed changes by the popular fitness platform.
A few days ago, Strava announced new API terms for its users and partners that will restrict the data that can be used and shown by third-party apps. Specifically, the company is introducing more privacy so that third-party apps can only display a user's Strava activity data to that specific user.
Third parties are now explicitly prohibited from using any data obtained by Strava's API in artificial intelligence models, and more terms have been added: "to protect Strava’s unique look and feel and functionality, helping users easily distinguish between Strava and third-party platforms."
Why are users unhappy?
The changes made by Strava have generated some quite intense user backlash, notably a YouTube video from DC Rainmaker that explains the impact of some of the changes. As he notes, tens of thousands of apps and training platforms rely on Strava's API to provide users with fitness insights. He warns that Strava's new changes could have a series of unfortunate consequences.
For instance, under the new rules, data synced to third-party platforms can't be shown to a coach. This is a change apps like Intervals.icu are already getting to grips with. Intervals, a popular cycling app, relied on its users funneling data from cycling program Zwift into Strava, which then funneled data into Intervals. Now, according to a post on the Intervals.icu forum, developers are working on a direct pathway from Zwift to Intervals without requiring Strava to be involved at all. Furthermore, apps like VeloViewer may no longer be able to show user data on their leaderboards.
The AI changes noted could cripple apps like TrainerRoad, which currently provides AI-generated plans and workouts using Strava API Materials. Stats.training developer Pedro Araújo said the change was "bad news" for his app, which provides Personal AI training using imported Strava data. "Strava is forbidding third-party apps from displaying user info to other users, so I'll have to disable public user profiles and scrap the whole initial idea... Bold move for a company that gets all their data from third parties. This is why I hate building on top of other services."
However, the biggest change prevents the processing and disclosing of Strava data (even publicly viewable data) for the purposes of analytics, analyses, customer insights, products, or service improvements.
As DC notes this is a massively vague and nebulous change that could include a huge range of services and features provided by apps that currently rely on Strava's API. He cites one exasperated company that reached out to say they're not even sure what they can do with the Strava API anymore.
The changes, it seems, broadly threaten to destroy the ecosystem of third-party apps that rely on Strava's API data to provide valuable fitness insights to users. Over on the Strava Community Hub, users were not shy about letting the company know exactly what they thought of these changes.
"Bunch of psychos. I've unsubscribed today," one user wrote. Others lamented that users themselves, not Strava, should decide whether their data should be used by other apps. "I just don't understand the reason why Strava thinks they need to do this. If I authorize a 3rd party to use my data then why should Strava decide that same 3rd party can't use my data? It just makes no sense. It really needs more explanation to understand the reasoning," one user added.
Others described the decision as "embarrassing," and a multitude have indicated they're canceling their Strava subscriptions.
Strava seeks to quell user unrest
Strava has clearly heard enough user outcry to issue additional context around the changes to its API agreement, and the impact it will have on its users and developers. Most notably, Strava claims "We currently anticipate these changes will impact less than .1% of applications and proactively notified the majority of those affected last week."
Addressing the changes more specifically, Strava says its increased privacy controls and limiting the display of users data is designed "to thoughtfully address situations where users connect to a third-party app and are unaware that their data is being surfaced not just for their own use and visibility, but also to other users (for example, in a public feed or heatmap)."
On AI, Strava says it believes in the transformational power of AI to handle personalized insights, route and training recommendations, and more but says "innovation in this space must be handled responsibly and with a firm focus on user control."
"Third-party developers may not take such a deliberate approach to training AI models and as a result, we believe the best decision for the platform and for users is to prohibit the use of data extracted from Strava users in this manner," the company explains.
On developer impact, Strava says "We recognize that our platform thrives because of the creativity and dedication of third-party developers who build tools to complement and extend Strava’s capabilities" and says it remains "steadfast in our commitment to fostering this ecosystem." It reiterated that less than .1% of applications on the Strava platforms will be affected by the changes, and says "the overwhelming majority of existing use cases are still allowed, including coaching platforms focused on providing feedback to users and tools that help users understand their data and performance."
Responding to the update, DC notes there's still a lot of ambiguity here. The reassurance around coaching apps, for instance, still appears to preclude human coaches from seeing data, noting many coaching apps have confirmed Strava hasn't changed its position.
Clearly, the user reaction and posited sweep of the changes are misaligned with what Strava believes will be the real-term impact, but it seems the nebulous and vague wording of some of the changes may have spooked developers of some of those aforementioned services.
One other point of contention around the changes is that developers were only given 30 days to prepare for the changes. Whether Strava makes any changes in the meantime remains to be seen, but the true impact of the overhaul might start to manifest in just a few weeks as a result.
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