ORLANDO, FL – A University of Central Florida student who gained attention for tracking the private jets of celebrities, including Taylor Swift, is firing back after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the singer’s legal team.
Jack Sweeney’s lawyer, James Slater of Slater Legal PLLC, defended his client in an interview with “Good Morning America,” stating that Sweeney will not be backing down. Slater argued that this legal action is an attempt by a powerful figure to silence public criticism and free speech.
Swift’s lawyer, Katie Morrone, accused Sweeney of providing a “roadmap” for individuals with harmful intentions by sharing live updates on the singer’s jet destinations. However, law professor Ryan Calo of the University of Washington does not see any underlying legal action that Swift’s team could take against Sweeney.
On Monday, Sweeney shared the response letter from his lawyer in which Slater asserts that Sweeney’s use of publicly accessible information to track private jets, including those used by public figures like Taylor Swift, is protected speech and does not violate any of Swift’s legal rights.
Slater also addressed the accusation of stalking, stating that Sweeney has never made any threats against Swift and that the information provided poses no threat to the singer’s safety. He emphasized that Sweeney’s purpose for tracking jets is to highlight the carbon emissions they produce.
In response to the legal threat, Sweeney has begun posting Swift’s information on a 24-hour delay and no longer does it in real-time. Swift’s team has not commented on the response they received from Sweeney’s lawyer. However, they previously stated that the timing of Sweeney’s posts suggests a connection to stalking.
This is not the first time Sweeney has faced controversy for tracking flights, as his previous Twitter account “@Elonjet” was suspended for keeping tabs on Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s plane in real-time.