Taylor Swift's private jet utilization has increased as she continues to become popular. In 2023, she produced 138 tons of carbon from flying on her private jet, 1200 times greater than the average human's carbon dioxide emission per year. In the wake of Swift's woes, celebrity use of private jets has become a hot-button issue. 

Sweeney v. Swift

Jack Sweeney, a junior studying information technology at the University of Central Florida, angered Taylor Swift to the point where she threatened to sue him over tracking her private jet use. Growing up, he was interested in aviation and technology. Combining his two passions led him to develop a plane-tracking website called TheAirTraffic.com, which tracks the aircraft use of celebrities, politicians, and other powerful figures. Despite initially being a hobby, Sweeney believed he could help increase transparency and public information. 

Sweeney's site relies on public tracking data that amateur enthusiasts pick up from airplane signals using receivers. Individuals such as aviation enthusiasts, researchers, and journalists have developed more interest in looking for incriminating and insightful data online over time. In numerous studies, his data tracked Taylor Swift's huge carbon footprint from her private jet use. However, it only shows where the jet flies, not who is flying on it.

Due to controversy, Swift's lawyers issued a cease-and-desist letter to Sweeney. This letter, first revealed by The Washington Post, warned the alleged wrongdoer, Sweeney, to stop the activity to avoid further legal action. As regular individuals such as Swift's fans gain easier access to her flight data, Swift's right to privacy may be compromised. However, this compromise is a contentious issue as of right now. 

The Privacy Issue 

The Fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights grants our right to privacy. Swift's lawyers accused Sweeney's plane tracking as posing "an imminent threat to [Swift's] safety and wellbeing." Additionally, her lawyers claim that there is "no legitimate interest in or public need for this information, other than to stalk, harass, and exert dominion and control." 

However, Sweeney rejects these accusations and claims public interest is in tracking Swift's plane. According to him, Swifties (Taylor Swift's fans) on Reddit have supported Sweeney's site to make it even easier to track her plane. Given how much Swift travels between her tours, public appearances, and seeing Travis Kelce (Swift's boyfriend), it is already quite easy to figure out where Swift will be. 

For example, she was in Las Vegas on February 11 to watch and support her boyfriend in Super Bowl LVIII. As a counterpoint to Sweeney's rejections, Swift's lawyers claim that the data allows the public to track the exact times and locations of her movements. Even though the data can track the exact times and locations of Swift's private jet, Sweeney posts the data on various social media sites 24 hours after it has been tracked, complying with social media guidelines preventing real-time tracking.

This is not the first time Sweeney has come under fire for tracking celebrity jet movements. Others like Elon Musk have suspended Sweeney's Twitter account, @elonjet, over the privacy issue. He claimed that it also puts his safety at risk, especially after an alleged stalker climbed on his plane when his child was inside. However, police reported that Sweeney's flight tracking had nothing to do with this incident. 

The Verdict

Sweeney's lawyer, Jack Slater, said he does not expect Swift's lawyers to take further legal action. Slater claimed that the cease-and-desist letter bullies Sweeney into complying with the rich and powerful's desires, even when he isn't doing anything illegal. 

After the news broke out, there has been plenty of online chatter over this contentious issue. While many support Sweeney's jet tracking site, others are angry at him. The angry individuals even accuse him of "want[ing] Taylor Swift to die like Princess Diana." People are still tracking Swift's private jet movements, including her recent 13-minute flight covering 28 miles from Cahokia East to Saint Louis, further exposing her excessive carbon footprint.