Skip to main content

Need help: Why was my app rejected due to data privacy?

  • March 12, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 28 views

Forum|alt.badge.img+1

Hello community,

I’m developing RunningCup, a mobile app for tracking running activities and challenges, where users can optionally import their own activities from Strava.

Recently, Strava rejected our API access request, citing privacy concerns:

“You must always respect Strava users and their privacy choices. This includes not sharing a Strava user’s data with other users or third parties. Strava Data related to other users, even if such data is publicly viewable on the Strava Platform, may not be displayed or disclosed.”

In RunningCup:

  • Users can only import their own activities from Strava.

  • Global leagues and rankings in the app are based on activities from all RunningCup users, including those imported from Strava.

  • We do not display data from other Strava users, and Strava data is not shared with third parties.

I suspect the rejection may be because when showing global rankings and leagues, the imported Strava activity data becomes “visible” in comparison with other users in the app.

My questions for the community:

  • Has anyone faced a similar rejection?

  • How do you handle user rankings and comparisons when users import activities from Strava without violating privacy rules?

  • Should I anonymize Strava data before using it in leagues/rankings?

Any guidance or shared experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Andres Vera

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

Jan_Mantau
Superuser
Forum|alt.badge.img+27
  • Superuser
  • March 12, 2026

Since last year Strava de facto forbids comparisons between users outside of Strava. The reason is of course not privacy, that’s just the fig leaf, but because it could jeopardize Strava’s income sources:  Sponsored challenges (with their own global leaderboards) and that only subscribers may make useful comparisons with others for segments or with custom challenges. So I think your idea is doomed because it would make you a competitor.