A-list celebrity and popstar Taylor Swift has been under the microscope for some time now due to her incredible Eras Tour success, new albums and her newly found love with Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce. Swift is no stranger to fame, as she has been in the spotlight since her self-titled debut album in 2006. She has had run-ins with obsessive fans and stalkers, which has caused many people to be concerned for her safety and health.
Recently, Swift has found herself in a controversy due to the use of her private jet. She has used her private jet to travel from places all around the world for her Eras Tour in 2023, which has continued into 2024. The amount of carbon emissions that have been released by her jet is concerning, as private jet use contributes 14 times more pollution than a commercial airline flight.
Jack Sweeney, a junior at the University of Central Florida, has been tracking Swift’s jet and posting updates on social media about the takeoff and landing times. This has received mixed reactions from the internet, with many people saying that the tracking and posting online could endanger Swift, while others believe in the benefits that result from holding celebrities accountable for their carbon emissions. Swift’s team has now threatened legal action against Sweeney for his actions.
This is not the first time Sweeney has had a run-in with a celebrity. Back in 2022, Elon Musk suspended Sweeney’s account on then-Twitter, now X, which tracked and posted updates about Musk’s private jet travels. The ban did not last, and Sweeney was back to posting updates not long after. So now this raises the question, is this tracking even legal?
In reality, all planes and jets everywhere are tracked, whether private or not. The Federal Aviation Administration releases tracking information to maintain transparency about aircraft safety. While it may not be so easy to find, the information is still public nonetheless. This is not as unsafe for celebrities as many may think, as paparazzi are still able to find and photograph celebrities, whether their flight information is public or not. Either way, it is not like the celebrities’ exact location is being shared.
Overall, Swift’s threat of legal action is unlikely to hold up. Since her flight information is already public, Sweeney’s live posting is legal. However, we may not be surprised if the “Taylor Swift effect” happens and she successfully shuts down Sweeney’s accounts. Swift, among many other celebrities, needs to be held more accountable for her 13-minute flights and other unnecessary emissions.
