Florida student who tracked Taylor Swift’s jet pushes back against threatened legal action
(The Hill) — The attorney for a Florida college student who has tracked singer Taylor Swift’s jet pushed back at the superstar’s threat of legal action, arguing there is “nothing unlawful” about his client’s actions.
The letter, on behalf of University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney, comes in response to multiple requests by Swift’s attorneys that demanded Sweeney stop tracking and sharing the flight information of the global superstar online.
For several years, Sweeney has maintained social media accounts that track the takeoffs and landings of planes owned by high-profile figures, including politicians, celebrities and billionaires. Sweeney uses public data from the Federal Aviation Administration and often notes the carbon emissions from each flight.
Swift’s legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sweeney in December, arguing the singer would “have no choice but to pursue any and all legal remedies” if he did not stop the “stalking and harassing behavior.” A spokesperson for Swift previously told Nexstar that “the timing of stalkers suggests a connection” to the flight tracking account.
“[Sweeney’s] posts tell you exactly when and where she would be,” they explained.
Sweeney on Monday posted his legal team’s Jan. 25 response on X, formerly Twitter, with the text “Look What You Made Me Do,” a nod to one of Swift’s hit songs.
Sweeney’s attorney, James Slater, noted his client and his client’s company — GRNDCTRL, LLC — are using publicly accessible information to track the jets. He argued that Sweeney’s social media account (@taylorswiftjets on Instagram) was “engaged in protected speech” that does not violate Swift’s rights.
“Your letter’s tone of alarm is unfounded,” Slater wrote in the letter. “Our clients’ website only provides the location of private jets using publicly available information. That information poses no threat to Ms. Swift’s safety.”
Slater maintained Sweeney has not made any credible threats against the singer, pushing back on Swift’s attorney’s stalking claim. He added later he “doubts” Swift will pursue legal action, but vowed to defend Sweeney’s rights should she do so.
Swift’s attorneys and Sweeney did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
In a statement previously shared with Nexstar, Sweeney defended his tracking accounts and explained that if Swift’s team is concerned about her privacy and safety, they should register the plane to a trust rather than an LLC, “especially when the LLC is the initials to the names in your family.” Additionally, Sweeney called out the tail number on Swift’s plane, N898TS, which contains Swift’s initials and her birthday, 1989.
“When the Embassy of Japan in the USA expresses confidence that Swift can make a flight from Tokyo to the Super Bowl, it indicates public interest,” he noted. “Therefore, one should reasonably expect that their jet will be tracked, whether or not I’m the one doing it, as it is public information after all.”
The “All Too Well” singer has faced scrutiny over her use of private jets and the resulting carbon emissions. Sweeney’s accounts were referenced in a 2022 study that found Swift to be one of the biggest celebrity carbon dioxide polluters.
Swift is currently on the 2024 leg of her “Eras,” tour that includes nearly 150 shows around the globe. It kicked off on March 17, 2023, and runs through early December 2024. She is next expected to perform four shows in Sydney, Australia, this weekend before making her way to Singapore next week.
Sweeney told a Florida news outlet earlier this month his accounts used to track Swift’s jet on Instagram, Facebook, and X were taken down hours after he received the cease-and-desist letter from the singer’s legal team, but not by him. The Instagram and Facebook accounts remained down as of Wednesday.
The Hill reached out to X and Meta for further comment.