Davis Brown
Pop icon Taylor Swift has threatened to sue a 21-year-old Florida college student, Jack Sweeney, who has been tracking and sharing details of her private jet flights through multiple social media accounts.
Sweeney runs similar accounts that use publicly available data to log the flights of hundreds of celebrities, billionaires and public figures. His accounts estimate the carbon emissions of these flights, often drawing criticism over their climate impact.
Swift’s attorney Katie Wright Morrone sent Sweeney a cease-and-desist letter in December demanding he stop tracking and sharing information about Swift’s jet. The letter said Sweeney’s activities constituted “stalking and harassing behavior” and posed an “imminent threat to Swift’s safety and wellbeing.”
Morrone wrote that Swift faces constant fear for her safety due to a history of stalkers showing up at her homes, including one man recently arrested outside her New York townhouse. “There is no valid reason for anyone to access this information except to stalk, harass, and exert dominion and control,” the letter read.
Swift spokeswoman Tree Paine suggested a link between Sweeney’s tracking and the stalkers, saying their timing “suggests a connection.”
Sweeney’s lawyer argues it is protected speech using publicly available data. “This isn’t about putting a GPS tracker on someone and invading their privacy. It’s using public information to track the jet of a public figure,” he said.
Student Says He Shares Only Public Data
Sweeney claims he never intended harm and only shares public data that offers limited information on cities Swift might be visiting. “Her team thinks they can control the world,” he said.
The flight-tracking accounts have estimated Swift’s jet left a carbon footprint of over 130 tons of CO2 emissions in three months last year when she faced criticism over her flight emissions. Her publicist contested the analysis, saying Swift’s jet is often loaned out.
Tracking Based on Publicly Available Information:
The flight tracking is based on FAA data and signals from aircraft transponders available due to safety requirements. However, it poses risks from stalkers to corporate espionage, experts say.
The FAA has privacy programs to help hide passenger identity but accounts like Sweeney’s using non-FAA sources remain exempt.
Facebook, and Instagram Disable Accounts:
Around the time of receiving the first letter, Sweeney’s Swift flight tracking accounts were disabled by Facebook and Instagram for privacy violations. He then began posting updates on his Celeb Jets accounts tracking multiple celebrities’ planes.
Swift’s attorney sent a second letter last month claiming those posts also constituted harassment. But Sweeney continues posting flight updates of Swift and others, now with a 24-hour delay.
The months-long dispute highlights concerns over privacy and harassment from publicly available data being amplified online. But legal experts suggest Sweeney faces an uphill battle defending his First Amendment rights while Swift pursues all options to safeguard her safety.
