In an unfolding story that pits privacy concerns against public data access, Taylor Swift’s legal team has issued a stern warning to Jack Sweeney, a college student at the University of Central Florida, for operating social media accounts that monitor the celebrity’s jet movements along with other high-profile figures.
Sweeney, whose tracking activities stretch across a spectrum of notable individuals – from Russian oligarchs to tech billionaires – compiles his data from sources like the Federal Aviation Administration and signal broadcasts from the aircraft themselves, all of which are public. His accounts came under the spotlight after a contentious instance involving Elon Musk and the alleged sharing of his “assassination coordinates” on X, formerly known as Twitter.
However, the situation escalated in December when Swift’s lawyer, Katie Wright Morrone from Venable LLP in Washington, issued a cease-and-desist notice. The missive accuses Sweeney of causing “direct and irreparable harm” to the singer-songwriter, leading to “emotional and physical distress” and a heightened state of vigilance concerning her personal safety. In a letter obtained by The Washington Post, Sweeney was accused of stalking behavior with no public interest justification.
The ramifications of Sweeney’s monitoring are said to link to incidents involving stalkers at Swift’s residences, with recent legal charges against an individual arrested outside her Manhattan home. Swift’s spokesperson, Tree Paine, hinted at the possible use of Sweeney’s data by these individuals but withheld comments on ongoing investigations.
Sweeney, aged 21, regards the letters from Swift’s attorney as intimidation attempts to prevent the dissemination of public information. Highlighting the partial nature of his data, he claims it’s akin to publicly available information, such as Swift’s concert schedules. Concurrently, critics have also flagged the environmental toll of the pop star’s private jet travel, with speculative analyses branding her the “biggest celebrity CO2 polluter” of a given year – assertions contested by Swift’s publicist.
The dispute intensified with Facebook and Instagram, part of Meta, disabling Sweeney’s dedicated accounts for Swift’s air travel, alleging privacy violations. Sweeney consequently shifted updates to other accounts used for various celebrities known as Celeb Jets. Yet in January, a further communication from Morrone reiterated the charge of harassment tied to Swift’s flight postings.
The letters from Swift’s lawyers, including names of other litigators specializing in digital crisis management, highlight the complexities around celebrity privacy and the use of public data. Both Morrone and Meta have yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
This story raises questions about the balance between the public’s right to access data and the privacy concerns of individuals—even those in the public eye. As the legalities unspool, ethical and privacy considerations remain a critical part of the debate.
