Taylor Swift threatens to sue student who tracks her private jet

[Social Media]

 

The tracking of celebrities' private jets has stirred controversy once again, with Taylor Swift's legal team reportedly threatening to sue a student who shares the flight information online.

 

Jack Sweeney, a 21-year-old student at the University of Central Florida, has been using publicly available data to track the take-offs and landings of planes owned by the wealthy, including Swift. He posts this information online one day later.

 

However, Swift's lawyers have deemed this tracking as "stalking" and have issued a cease-and-desist letter to Sweeney, demanding that he stop sharing the location of her private jet. The letter, reportedly issued in December, claims that the information poses a threat to Swift's safety and well-being, citing previous stalking incidents she has faced in her career.

 

Sweeney has defended his actions, stating that he does not intend any harm and believes in transparency and public information. He received the threatening letter after media outlets began scrutinizing Swift's carbon footprint, particularly her high private jet CO2 emissions.

 

In response to the legal threat, Sweeney emphasized that his posts do not disclose any information about who is traveling on the planes or their destinations upon landing.

 

Swift's spokeswoman suggested a correlation between Sweeney's posts and the timing of stalking incidents targeting Swift, although no direct evidence was provided. The singer's travel plans have garnered increased attention from fans, especially with her upcoming appearance at the NFL Super Bowl in Las Vegas following a concert in Tokyo.

 

Sweeney's tracking activities extend beyond Swift to include other wealthy individuals like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. However, the focus remains on Swift due to her legal action against Sweeney and the ongoing scrutiny of her private jet emissions.

 

08.02.24

Source

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Swift has a private jet, who would have guessed. I hope she isn't one of those climate warriors that tell everyone else to ride a bicycle while swanning around the planet in a private jet.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Swift has a private jet, who would have guessed. I hope she isn't one of those climate warriors that tell everyone else to ride a bicycle while swanning around the planet in a private jet.

Or perhaps you hope she is.

[sirineou]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Swift has a private jet, who would have guessed. I hope she isn't one of those climate warriors that tell everyone else to ride a bicycle while swanning around the planet in a private jet.

How would that affect the story at hand?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

How would that affect the story at hand?

So what, it's a forum for people with nothing else to do, not a meeting of the UN security council.

[Morch]

6 minutes ago, sirineou said:

How would that affect the story at hand?

 

The guy tracking her says he does so in order to raise environmental awareness.

Edited February 9 by Morch

[sirineou]

14 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

So what, it's a forum for people with nothing else to do, not a meeting of the UN security council.

Yea but that does not answered my question , or does it?

it is totally irrelevant , and it could derail  the thread when someone inevitably would take the bait.

 

Swift has every right to be concerned, not only is it stalking, it endangers her safety, and infringes on her privacy. 

[impulse]

On 2/8/2024 at 9:24 AM, Social Media said:

Jack Sweeney, a 21-year-old student at the University of Central Florida, has been using publicly available data to track the take-offs and landings of planes owned by the wealthy, including Swift. He posts this information online one day later.   

 

The letter, reportedly issued in December, claims that the information poses a threat to Swift's safety and well-being, citing previous stalking incidents she has faced in her career.

 

It would be interesting to see a Venn diagram of Swifties and the Greenies that would stalk her on account of her CO2 footprint.

 

Lots of overlap, I'd bet.

 

I hope the guy has the financial resources to fend off the lawsuit and counter sue her for malicious tort.  But I doubt it.

 

[KhunLA]

What mega rich person wouldn't own or charter private jets for transport.   As long as they all aren't flying to the Earth Day MMGM conference, that the hypocrites use private jets to get to 

 

If on tour, makes sense, knowing your flight will operate, instead of flying commercial.  They are on a tight schedule sometimes.

 

Anything beats dealing with airport security & check ins, and half the reason I haven't left TH in almost 20 years.   Nothing I want to see is worth 6 hrs of being at an airport, let alone more than 2 hr on a plane (and they other reason I stay in TH).  Closest interesting place are like 3 hrs (HKG) or 6 hrs (SEL or JP) away, not counting 3 hrs check in each way.  When it takes as long or longer the check in than flying, something is wrong.  Then a train to get out of the cities.  

 

Envious people out there, since they have to ride in the back of the bus   That's pure hell on a full plane.

Edited February 9 by KhunLA

[BritManToo]

28 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Yea but that does not answered my question , or does it?

it is totally irrelevant , and it could derail  the thread when someone inevitably would take the bait.

 

Swift has every right to be concerned, not only is it stalking, it endangers her safety, and infringes on her privacy. 

How about our right to not be told what to do by hypocrites? 

[impulse]

52 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Swift has every right to be concerned, not only is it stalking, it endangers her safety, and infringes on her privacy. 

 

So maybe she should sue her concert promoters who publicize where she'll be, months in advance.  Or the Swifties wearing those T-shirts that have her concert schedule silk screened onto them.  Privacy, indeed.

 

The guy is just collating and reposting publicly available information.  He's neither the source of the information, nor a stalker acting on that information.  That sounds suspiciously like free speech.

 

[bamnutsak]

IMO this sort of celebrity tracking is fine, as long as it is not in real-time, and is delayed ~ 24 hours.

 

Elon Musk had a similar beef with this same chap.

 

I think Swift's fans are intelligent enough to know that she flies private, and at great distances. Any simpleton can look up her concert schedule. Or view the photos she posts.

 

The trade-off between flying private vs. commercial, is more than offset by the hundreds of thousands of fans who get great joy from seeing her perform, the massive injection of spending, and the tens of thousands of jobs created.

 

 

 

 

[sirineou]

50 minutes ago, impulse said:

So maybe she should sue her concert promoters who publicize where she'll be, months in advance. 

incorrect!

what is it about your political orientation crowd thar revels in being wrong? Will not miss an opportunity to put foot in mouth. 

But I do respect your confidence to own it. You proudly proclaim to the world. "I don't know what I am talking about, and I don't care who knows it" there is something enviable about that, even liberating. 

   But I digress. 

Of course her promoter would publicize and event, otherwise how would people know about it to buy tickets, and he certainly not publicize it  15 minutes before the event for reasons that should be obvious even to your crowd. But he does not publicize how, when  and what route she will take to get there. Not only is it dangerous to her. It is irrelevant to the event. .

Again for reasons that should be obvious to even those with half a brain. 

  If she did sue,  you were her lawyer,and presented your above defence in court, everyone would be so busy laughing you would probably win by default. 

 

Too terse ?  My reply,. A bit over the top you think?

[jerrymahoney]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

It would be interesting to see a Venn diagram of Swifties and the Greenies that would stalk her on account of her CO2 footprint.

 

Lots of overlap, I'd bet.

 

I hope the guy has the financial resources to fend off the lawsuit and counter sue her for malicious tort.  But I doubt it.

 

(via Bloomberg) James Slater, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation who’s representing Sweeney, called Swift’s legal claims baseless and said they were raised around the time news outlets began writing about the carbon emissions from her private jet. ...

 

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/world/taylor-swift-demands-21-year-old-stop-tracking-her-private-jet-2883498

 

One of EFF'S backers on free speech issues is Craig Newmark of Craig's List.

[impulse]

4 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

(via Bloomberg) James Slater, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation who’s representing Sweeney, called Swift’s legal claims baseless and said they were raised around the time news outlets began writing about the carbon emissions from her private jet. ...

 

So, typical elitist lawfare.  I'm glad the guy has a free speech backer with deep pockets.

 

[jerrymahoney]

Taylor Swift Lawsuit Threat Has a Problem

Updated Feb 09, 2024 at 11:52 AM EST

 

But Swift's legal team has one issue, according to Frank Salzano, managing partner of Salzano Ettinger Lampert & Wilson, LLP, a boutique entertainment and sports law firm based in Manhattan.

"This matter raises novel legal issues due to the fact that the college student is technically not violating any of Swift's privacy rights since the data is publicly available and is simply being posted on social media by the student," he told Newsweek in a statement.

 

"However, it is important to note that the laws and legal precedent typically lag technological advances in society. As the law needs to play catch up, accordingly, it is possible that laws may get implemented in the future making the student's conduct illegal, but I see no viable legal theory currently that would entitle Swift to any redress."

 

Newsweek contacted Swift's publicist via email for comment Friday.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/taylor-swift-lawsuit-threat-problem-1868548

 

 

 

 

[Tug]

18 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

So what, it's a forum for people with nothing else to do, not a meeting of the UN security council.

Hey nice to see you own up to be just a s..t disturber and nothing more there’s another word for such people lmao 🤣 anyway Taylor due to the nature of her business needs a private aircraft I have no ldea if she leases or or charters perhaps both most likely one on lease for the short hauls and a charter when she needs the range I’ll bet some of her crew travels with her as well she is a busy successful woman get her done Taylor!!

[impulse]

1 hour ago, jerrymahoney said:

but I see no viable legal theory currently that would entitle Swift to any redress."

 

The problem, of course, is that she could easily bankrupt most people before the case ever came to trial.  All she'd have to do is shop for a friendly venue, file the lawsuit there, and start up the paper mill.  For her, it would be pocket change.  For an average American, it would bankrupt them.

 

So I'm glad he's got backing from Craig.

 

 

[jerrymahoney]

Just a note as to how this all got started:

 

Sweeney's father, a Technical Operations Controller for American Airlines, introduced him to aviation when he was young. Sweeney would use the data to track his father coming home when he commuted from Dallas back to Florida.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sweeney

[jerrymahoney]

12 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

The problem, of course, is that she could easily bankrupt most people before the case ever came to trial.  All she'd have to do is shop for a friendly venue, file the lawsuit there, and start up the paper mill.  For her, it would be pocket change.  For an average American, it would bankrupt them.

 

So I'm glad he's got backing from Craig.

 

 

 

EFF thanks Craig Newmark for his 30 years of financial support, which has helped us grow to become the leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation today. 

 

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/craig-newmark-philanthropies-celebrating-30-years-support-digital-rights

 

 

[impulse]

8 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

 

EFF thanks Craig Newmark for his 30 years of financial support, which has helped us grow to become the leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation today. 

 

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/craig-newmark-philanthropies-celebrating-30-years-support-digital-rights

 

Yeah, my bad.  I shouldn't have used the shorthand "Craig", which may have insinuated that it was him personally.

 

[jerrymahoney]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

Yeah, my bad.  I shouldn't have used the shorthand "Craig", which may have insinuated that it was him personally.

 

OK. As noted above: James Slater, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation who’s representing Sweeney

[nauseus]

16 hours ago, sirineou said:

incorrect!

what is it about your political orientation crowd thar revels in being wrong? Will not miss an opportunity to put foot in mouth. 

But I do respect your confidence to own it. You proudly proclaim to the world. "I don't know what I am talking about, and I don't care who knows it" there is something enviable about that, even liberating. 

   But I digress. 

Of course her promoter would publicize and event, otherwise how would people know about it to buy tickets, and he certainly not publicize it  15 minutes before the event for reasons that should be obvious even to your crowd. But he does not publicize how, when  and what route she will take to get there. Not only is it dangerous to her. It is irrelevant to the event. .

Again for reasons that should be obvious to even those with half a brain. 

  If she did sue,  you were her lawyer,and presented your above defence in court, everyone would be so busy laughing you would probably win by default. 

 

Too terse ?  My reply,. A bit over the top you think?

 

Perhaps 'overflowing' would describe it better?

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, nauseus said:

 

Perhaps 'overflowing' would describe it better?

Don it have to be over the top to me overflowing? And I believe the the trade term used by professional Bullsh!ters use is "Superfluous .

[herfiehandbag]

48 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Just a note as to how this all got started:

 

Sweeney's father, a Technical Operations Controller for American Airlines, introduced him to aviation when he was young. Sweeney would use the data to track his father coming home when he commuted from Dallas back to Florida.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sweeney

Commuting by air from Dallas to Florida.

Golly, that would build up a significant carbon footprint.

 

How jolly irresponsible!

[jerrymahoney]

2 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Commuting by air from Dallas to Florida.

Golly, that would build up a significant carbon footprint.

 

How jolly irresponsible!

But most likely on an American Airlines commercial flight -- not a Gulfstream

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Commuting by air from Dallas to Florida.

Golly, that would build up a significant carbon footprint.

 

How jolly irresponsible!

 

An airline employee hopping on an empty seat on an airplane going there anyway?  May not even be a marketable seat...

 

[nauseus]

46 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Commuting by air from Dallas to Florida.

Golly, that would build up a significant carbon footprint.

 

How jolly irresponsible!

 

Golly! Was this commute every day? Was it on a private jet. Somehow, I doubt it. 

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

Don it have to be over the top to me overflowing? And I believe the the trade term used by professional Bullsh!ters use is "Superfluous .

 

You asked the question. Now you ask another.

 

No pleasing some people.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, sirineou said:

Yea but that does not answered my question , or does it?

it is totally irrelevant , and it could derail  the thread when someone inevitably would take the bait.

 

Swift has every right to be concerned, not only is it stalking, it endangers her safety, and infringes on her privacy. 

If Swift is concerned for her safety she can take a commercial airline like all us common folk do. Of all the things in the world for me to be concerned about, the complaints from a very rich person that they feel unsafe using their polluting private transport is not one of them.

I'd be happy if ALL private jets were BANNED as a threat to the world's environment.