ORLANDO, Fla. – Taylor Swift’s legal team is pursuing action against a college student in Orlando, Florida, who has been operating social media accounts to track the flights of the pop star and other celebrities’ private jets.
Jack Sweeney, a junior at the University of Central Florida, has been managing accounts that monitor the takeoffs and landings of planes owned by prominent individuals, politicians, and public figures, as well as estimating their carbon emissions. The data is obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration and volunteer hobbyists who track the aircraft signals.
The controversy began when Sweeney was banned from the social media platform X for sharing what was referred to as “assassination coordinates” by the owner, Elon Musk. Swift’s lawyers sent Sweeney a cease-and-desist letter in December, expressing that his actions had caused “direct and irreparable harm” to the pop star, her family, and her personal safety.
Sweeney refuted the claims, arguing that the information he shares is already public and requires no secrecy. Meanwhile, Swift’s representatives declined to comment on any evidence linking the jet-tracking accounts to stalkers but suggested a potential connection based on the timing of the stalker incidents.
The scrutiny on Swift’s private jet travel intensified due to environmental concerns, particularly after an analysis in 2022 identified her as the “biggest celebrity [carbon dioxide] polluter” of the year. Critics have also used her travel plans to scrutinize her for various reasons, including political ones.
Despite the legal threats, Sweeney continues to post updates about Swift’s jet and other public figures’ flights on multiple other platforms, using a 24-hour delay to adhere to X’s real-time location tracking rule. The legal battle raises important questions about public data and freedom of speech, as well as the responsibilities of individuals with large public followings, like Swift, to environmental and social issues.