- Taylor Swift files legal action against a Florida college student who tracks private jets, accusing him of tipping off stalkers about her location.
- The college student, Jack Sweeney, defends himself, stating that he never intended to cause harm and believes in transparency and public information.
- The controversy surrounding Sweeney’s tracking highlights the tension between privacy concerns and access to public information, raising questions about the responsibility of individuals in using and sharing public data.
Additional Coverage:
In San Francisco, Taylor Swift has taken legal action against a Florida college student named Jack Sweeney. Sweeney, a junior studying information technology at the University of Central Florida, uses public data and social media to track the private jets of billionaires, politicians, and celebrities. Swift’s camp sent Sweeney a cease-and-desist letter in late December, accusing him of tipping off stalkers about her location. The letter stated that Sweeney’s tracking provided potential harm to Swift and provided a roadmap for those with malicious intentions. Sweeney, however, defended himself, stating that he never meant to cause harm and believes in transparency and public information. He emphasized that tracking a public figure’s jet is expected, regardless of whether he is the one doing it. Swift’s spokesperson supported the claim, connecting Sweeney’s flight tracking sites to stalkers, but did not provide further evidence or details on the alleged incidents.
The legal letter also accused Sweeney of disregarding the personal safety of others, willful and repeated harassment of Swift, and intentional violations of her privacy. However, Sweeney’s actions are based on public data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a government agency. Despite this, the law firm Venable demanded that Sweeney immediately stop providing information about Swift’s location to the public. It is unclear whether the same demand was issued to the FAA.
In addition to the controversy surrounding Sweeney’s tracking, Swift’s use of her private jet has also faced criticism for its high carbon dioxide emissions. Swift is expected to use the jet to travel from a concert in Tokyo for her Eras Tour to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play in the Super Bowl.
Sweeney has had multiple accounts on Twitter dedicated to tracking jets, with more than 30 at one point. These accounts, now known as X after being purchased by Elon Musk for $44 billion, have faced their own conflicts. Musk initially allowed Sweeney’s elonjet account to remain on the platform, citing his commitment to free speech. However, Musk later banned Sweeney, claiming that his account posed a personal safety risk.
In March 2022, Sweeney gained attention for publicizing the movements of private jets owned by Russian oligarchs on Twitter. Using an algorithm he developed, Sweeney tracked around 30 private jets belonging to Russian oligarchs and created an account called “Russian Oligarch Jets” (@RUOligarchJets).
Overall, this situation highlights the tension between privacy concerns and the accessibility of public information, as well as raises questions about the responsibility of individuals in using and sharing public data.