East Rutherford, New Jersey – Taylor Swift has threatened a student with a lawsuit after he tracked and published details of her private jet usage. Jack Sweeney, a student at the University of Central Florida, runs social media accounts that track and log the flights of politicians and celebrities. Swift’s legal team claims that his accounts aid stalkers and pose a safety threat to the singer. Sweeney argues that there is legitimate public interest in his posts.
Sweeney’s tracking accounts gained popularity in 2022 during the Russia-Ukraine conflict when he monitored the private jets of Russian oligarchs. He also includes information about the carbon footprints of flights, highlighting the environmental impact of luxury travel. Sweeney obtains the data from publicly available sources, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Swift’s lawyers argue that her safety is at risk due to Sweeney’s actions and have threatened legal action if he does not stop tracking her flights. They claim that Swift and her family have suffered harm and distress as a result of Sweeney’s jet tracker account. In response, Sweeney asserts that there is legitimate interest from fans in tracking the flights of public figures.
The timing of Swift’s legal team’s threat coincides with recent criticism of her jet use and carbon emissions. Reports revealed that her private jet produced 138 tons of CO2 emissions in just three months. Sweeney believes that his tracking accounts provide transparency and public information, contrasting with Meta (formerly Facebook) suspending his TaylorSwiftJets account while other jet tracking accounts remain active.
Sweeney accuses Swift’s representatives of ignoring his correspondence regarding the emissions issue. He suggests that Swift could take steps to enhance her privacy and safety by registering her jet to a trust rather than an LLC with family initials. In late 2022, Sweeney also had a high-profile dispute with Elon Musk over tracking the billionaire’s private jet.
It remains to be seen how the legal situation between Swift and Sweeney will unfold. The argument over the legitimacy of tracking public figures’ jet usage continues, with Sweeney advocating for transparency and public interest.