A 21-year-old University of Central Florida student, Jack Sweeney, who publicly tracks the flights of celebrities’ private jets, is reportedly facing legal action from Taylor Swift’s lawyers. Utilizing publicly available data, Sweeney posts information about take-offs and landings a day later. Swift’s legal team contends that this tracking amounts to “stalking” and has issued a cease-and-desist letter in December, asserting that the shared flight details pose a serious threat to Swift’s safety.
The cease-and-desist letter emphasizes Swift’s history of dealing with stalkers and argues that the disclosed data provides potential criminals with a “roadmap” to harm her. The letter, which has not been independently reviewed by the BBC, claims that Swift’s safety is in jeopardy, characterizing the situation as a “life-or-death matter” for her.
Sweeney, banned from Twitter in 2022 after Elon Musk accused him of sharing sensitive information, received the legal notice after media scrutiny on Swift’s carbon footprint. In 2022, Swift topped the list of celebrities with the highest private jet CO2 emissions, drawing attention to her environmental impact.
In response, Sweeney stated that he harbors no intention of causing harm and supports transparency and public information. He suggests that the threatening letter coincided with media coverage of Swift’s carbon emissions.
Swift’s spokeswoman implicated Sweeney’s posts in the timing of a recent stalking incident outside Swift’s home, indicating a potential connection. The posts allegedly disclosed Swift’s travel plans, providing specific details on when and where she would be.
Despite the increased scrutiny on Taylor Swift’s private jet travel, Sweeney’s posts do not reveal information about the individuals on the planes or their destinations. His tracking extends beyond Swift to other high-profile figures, including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. The BBC has reached out to Swift’s lawyers for comment on the matter.