Jack Sweeney’s Threads Accounts Tracking Private Jets Suspended

Jack Sweeney, a college student known for tracking the private jets of high-profile individuals like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, has announced that his Threads accounts have been suspended. Sweeney, who shares flight path data of various celebrities and business leaders, stated that his accounts on Meta’s Threads platform were shut down without any prior notice or warning from the company.

Meta’s Rationale for Suspension: Privacy and Safety Concerns

Meta, the parent company of Threads, cited privacy concerns and the risk of physical harm to individuals as the primary reasons for suspending Sweeney’s jet-tracking accounts. A Meta spokesperson explained to Business Insider that the decision was in line with recommendations from the independent Oversight Board, a body that helps the platform determine content moderation policies. The spokesperson emphasized that the accounts violated Meta’s privacy policy, especially regarding the sharing of live location data that could potentially endanger the individuals being tracked.

Controversy and Legal Threats from High-Profile Individuals

Sweeney’s tracking activities have generated significant backlash from some of the world’s most influential people. Elon Musk and Taylor Swift are among those who have voiced strong opposition, with both threatening Sweeney with lawsuits. Musk previously described the accounts as engaging in “stalking and harassing behavior,” while Swift’s team raised similar concerns about safety and privacy.

Sweeney initially gained widespread attention in 2022 when Musk offered him money to stop sharing his flight information on Twitter, now known as X. At the time, Sweeney was a freshman at the University of Central Florida, where he was studying information technology. Sweeney reportedly tried to negotiate a higher price, but Musk never followed up.

Flight Data Sharing: Public Information or Privacy Violation?

Sweeney’s tracking efforts rely on publicly available data from the ADS-B Exchange, a network that compiles flight path information from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. This data is accessible to anyone, which Sweeney has used to automate and share real-time flight locations of celebrities and tech leaders on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Threads. However, the growing concerns over privacy and the potential for physical harm have led several platforms to ban or suspend these accounts.

In December 2022, after Musk acquired Twitter, Sweeney’s jet-tracking accounts were suspended on that platform as well. Musk justified the move by claiming that such accounts posed a significant physical safety risk. Twitter has since updated its policies to restrict users from sharing live location information of others without consent.

Sweeney’s Future Plans and Response

Sweeney expressed surprise at the suspension of his Threads accounts, as he claims he was not given any prior notice by Meta. While he has not yet issued a formal response, his previous actions suggest that he intends to continue his jet-tracking efforts despite facing legal threats and account bans. He has also expanded his activities by creating a personal database to monitor aircraft, ensuring that his tracking can continue outside of traditional social media platforms.

The suspension of Sweeney’s Threads accounts reflects a broader debate over the balance between publicly available data and individual privacy rights. As high-profile individuals grow more concerned about the risks associated with real-time location tracking, platforms like Meta and Twitter are increasingly opting to limit such activities in the interest of user safety.