University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney has found himself in the midst of a legal battle with Taylor Swift’s legal team after running the now-defunct Instagram page @taylorswiftjets, where he shared the singer’s flight activity using publicly available data. Swift’s attorney, Katie Wright Morrone, issued cease-and-desist letters to Sweeney, demanding that he cease tracking and publicly sharing Swift’s flight information. However, Sweeney and his attorney, James Slater, assert that his actions are lawful and protected under free speech.
In response to Swift’s legal team’s efforts to halt Sweeney’s activities, Slater emphasized that Sweeney’s use of publicly accessible information to track private jets, including those of public figures like Taylor Swift, does not constitute any illegal activity. Slater’s argument rests on the premise that Sweeney’s speech is protected and does not infringe upon any of Swift’s legal rights. Furthermore, Slater noted that Sweeney’s company, GRNDCTRL, has also reported flight history for other notable individuals, such as Russian oligarchs and Elon Musk.
Despite Swift’s attorneys’ claims that Sweeney’s actions pose a potential risk to the popstar’s safety by providing up-to-date location information that could be exploited by stalkers and harassers, Slater rebuffed these allegations. He clarified that Sweeney merely utilizes information that is already publicly available and does not pose any credible threat to Swift. Slater highlighted the absence of any threats made by Sweeney or his company against Swift and criticized the tone of Morrone’s cease-and-desist letters as unfounded.
Sweeney’s activities extend beyond tracking Taylor Swift’s private jet, as he operates multiple social media accounts dedicated to monitoring aircraft owned by celebrities, billionaires, and politicians. Some of these accounts even delve into analyzing the environmental impact of the jet owners’ travel. The information sourced by Sweeney is derived from various publicly available data sets, including registration information from the Federal Aviation Administration and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data transmitted by aircraft themselves.
ADS-B technology, mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration, enables real-time tracking of aircraft by broadcasting essential flight information such as position and altitude. This data is crucial for air traffic control and is also utilized by websites like FlightAware.com to display the real-time locations of commercial flights. Sweeney’s use of such data underscores the importance of transparency and public access to information in tracking air travel activities.
The legal dispute between Sweeney and Taylor Swift’s legal team highlights broader questions surrounding privacy rights, free speech, and the ethical considerations of tracking individuals’ movements. While Swift’s attorneys argue for the protection of their client’s safety and privacy, Sweeney contends that his activities are legitimate and serve the public interest by providing transparency in celebrity travel. As the legal proceedings unfold, the outcome will likely shape future discussions on the boundaries of online surveillance and the rights of individuals to access publicly available information.