Current:Home > ContactTaylor Swift's private jet tracker claps back, saying he's done 'nothing unlawful' -Clarity Finance Guides
Taylor Swift's private jet tracker claps back, saying he's done 'nothing unlawful'
View
Date:2025-04-16 20:56:53
One college student has no problem sharing Taylor Swift's flight paths all too well.
University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney is pushing back on a cease-and-desist letter sent to him by Swift's attorney demanding he stop publicly posting the singer's flights on her jet. The 21-year-old ran the now-defunct Instagram page @taylorswiftjets, where he reported her flight activity using data from various sources of publicly available information.
Swift's attorney, Katie Wright Morrone, sent multiple letters to Sweeney demanding that he stop tracking and publicly sharing her flight information. In a dismissive reply shared on X on Monday, Sweeney's attorney said the 22-year-old student and his company, GRNDCTRL, did nothing illegal.
Sweeney captioned the post, "Look What You Made Me Do," referencing the title track off Swift's 2017 "Reputation" album. He also shared the two letters sent to him by Swift's team.
"Put simply, there is nothing unlawful about GRNDCTRL's use of publicly accessible information to track private jets, including those by public figures like Taylor Swift," wrote Sweeney's attorney, James Slater.
Slater argued that Sweeney's speech is protected and did not violate any of Swift's legal rights. He added that GRNDCTRL has also reported flight history for Russian oligarchs and Elon Musk.
'Texas Hold 'Em':Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart
Attorneys rejects claims he posed 'credible threat' to Swift
Swift's attorneys argue that Sweeney's actions put the popstar at risk by providing up-to-date location information accessible to potential stalkers and would-be harassers.
Slater rejected those claims by clarifying that Sweeney is using information that is already made publicly available. He added that the language in Morrone's letter defines a stalker as someone who poses a "credible threat" to a victim.
"Our clients have never made any threats against Ms. Swift and your letter does not suggest they have done so," Slater said. "Further, your letter's tone is unfounded."
USA TODAY has reached out to Swift's representatives for comment.
How is Taylor Swift's jet being tracked?
Sweeney has multiple social media accounts tracking aircrafts belonging to celebrities, billionaires and politicians, with some even analyzing the carbon footprint of the jet owners' trips.
The information doesn't come from one source bur rather uses data pieced together from a few different sources of publicly available information, such as registration information from the Federal Aviation Administration, and broadcast signals from the planes themselves. Those signals are known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, data.
ADS-B technology is required by the Federal Aviation Administration on aircraft and shares real-time position, altitude and other information that is important to air traffic controllers. The data also allows for sites like FlightAware.com to show real-time commercial flight locations.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Christopher Cann
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Indiana’s three gubernatorial candidates agree to a televised debate in October
- Salt Lake City celebrates expected announcement that it will host the 2034 Winter Olympics
- Officers left post to go look for Trump rally gunman before shooting, state police boss says
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Democratic delegates cite new energy while rallying behind Kamala Harris for president
- FTC launches probe into whether surveillance pricing can boost costs for consumers
- Donald Trump and Bryson DeChambeau aim to break 50 on YouTube: Five takeaways
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Love Is Blind's Chelsea Blackwell Shares She Got a Boob Job
Ranking
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- 'Horrifying': Officials, lawmakers, Biden react to deputy shooting Sonya Massey
- Netanyahu looks to boost US support in speech to Congress, but faces protests and lawmaker boycotts
- Honolulu prosecutor’s push for a different kind of probation has failed to win over critics — so far
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Survivors sue Illinois over decades of sexual abuse at Chicago youth detention center
- Minnesota school settles with professor who was fired for showing image of the Prophet Muhammad
- Hailee Steinfeld and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen go Instagram official in Paris
Recommendation
Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
The Founder For Starry Sky Wealth Management Ltd
Famed guitarist Slash announces death of stepdaughter in heartfelt post: 'Sweet soul'
Tarek El Moussa Slams Rumor He Shared a Message About Ex Christina Hall’s Divorce
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
Starbucks offering half-price drinks for a limited time Tuesday: How to redeem offer
Horoscopes Today, July 23, 2024
Simone Biles won’t be required to do all four events in Olympic gymnastics team final