Taylor Swift’s legal team has initiated legal proceedings against a Florida college student, Jack Sweeney. Sweeney is known for monitoring the private jet activities of celebrities and public figures, including Swift.
Sweeney disclosed to CNN that he received a cease-and-desist letter from Swift’s legal team, an action first reported by the Washington Post.
Sweeney previously faced backlash from Elon Musk for similar tracking activities, leading to the suspension of his “@ElonJet” account on the platform, then known as Twitter, in December 2022 due to Musk’s security concerns. Despite this, Sweeney was later reinstated on the platform.
Beyond Swift and Musk, Sweeney tracks private jets belonging to figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. Musk has labelled such tracking as a “security risk.”
Swift’s attorney, Katie Morrone of Venable LLP, accuses Sweeney of “stalking and harassing behaviour” through his detailed posts on Swift’s movements, alleging an “imminent threat” to Swift’s safety. The letter criticizes Sweeney’s disregard for public safety for personal benefit.
Sweeney, who uses public Federal Aviation Administration data and aviation enthusiast signals to track Swift, asserts no harmful intentions and advocates for transparency. He points to significant interest in Swift’s movements, especially regarding her potential attendance at the Super Bowl to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, after her tour in Tokyo. The Japanese Embassy even speculated on Swift’s ability to return to the US in time for the event.
