In late December, Swift’s camp hit Jack Sweeney, a junior studying information technology at the University of Central Florida, with a cease-and-desist letter that blamed his automated tracking of her private jet for tipping off stalkers as to her location. In the letter, attorneys from the law firm Venable accused Sweeney of effectively providing “individuals intent on harming her, or with nefarious or violent intentions, a roadmap to carry out their plans.”
Sweeney provided the link to that letter in an email to the Associated Press. In that message, he emphasized that while he has never intended to cause harm, he also believes strongly in the importance of transparency and public information.
“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,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for Swift echoed the legal complaint, saying that “the timing of stalkers” suggests a connection to Sweeney’s flight-tracking sites. The spokesperson did not respond to questions seeking elaboration of that charge, such as whether stalkers have been seen waiting for Swift at the airport when her plane arrived or, alternatively, if there is evidence that stalkers have somehow inferred Swift’s subsequent location from the arrival time of her flight.
The legal letter likewise accuses Sweeney of “disregarding the personal safety of others”; “willful and repeated harassment of our client”; and “intentional, offensive, and outrageous conduct and consistent violations of our client’s privacy.”
Such statements are difficult to square with the fact that Sweeney’s automated tracking accounts merely repackage public data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, a government agency. That fact did not dissuade the Venable attorneys, who demanded that Sweeney “immediately stop providing information about our client’s location to the public.”
Considering the amount of MAGA creeps around, I’d reserve judgement on that. She must get 10 credible death threats a day.
She has a 24/7, well paid security team. Most of America is a single $1000 emergency away from homelessness and financial ruin.
Fuck Taylor Swift and fuck idol worship.
You talk tough when you don’t have lunatics threatening your life. But, then you can, can’t you.
What the actual fuck is wrong with you? Taylor Swift isn’t your friend. She isn’t creeping around forums making a list of users that defend her. Her success was purchased by her rich father, her music is written and produced by a team of professionals who use scientifically proven methods to make sure the music is palatable to make the most money… Goddamn. Who defends the ultra rich?
It’s called empathy my friend. You should try some.
You misspelled psychosis.
You misspelled not caring about anyone.
You can both relax! I checked each word and neither of you misspelled anything.
There is a grammatical error though…Start the fight back up!
KUMITE! KUMITE! KUMITE!
Shut up simp. I don’t think you made this noise when musk did this.
Simp? Bwhahaha. Sorry I hit so close to the nerve.
Removed by mod
Please pay attention to our community rules, and tone down the insults.
That’s a good one too. You have a nice day.
And now more MAGA creeps know about it, and more trackers will pop up. Streisand Effect.
All it takes is one. Everybody can track planes if they want to. This guy just makes it easy. Everybody knows about him since Musk.
OK is making it easy a threat worth doing something about, or simply making public info easier to find? You’re trying to have it both ways. Is it “just easier” or a real threat?
Pick one.
I don’t see your logic here.
“All it takes is one.”
“Anyone can track planes.”
pick one.
Again, I don’t see your logic.
In fact, we don’t see your logic.
Sucks to be her then. She could just not fly around in her private jet so much if she’s so worried.
Everyone has a job to do. Her’s forces her to travel a lot. Yours may not.
She’s got enough $$ she doesn’t HAVE to do anything the rest of her life and still live extremely comfortably.
Her “job” doesn’t force her to do shit.
You don’t walk in her shoes. You don’t know what is or should be important to her. She may be wealthy, but maybe her personal value is something other than what you think it should be.
I don’t walk in her shoes. Yeah duh, if I did I wouldn’t be, because if I ever made 5 million I’d retire, buy a house, and live off interest comfortably the rest of my life. I don’t need any more than that (and technically don’t even need that, considering I don’t have it now and I’m not dead).
That’s you, not her. Like most successful people I suspect she has higher aspirations. Although I find her music a bit jingleistic, I suspect making it is important to her, perhaps even more than her bank account.
In no way am I saying she can’t make music.
But making music doesn’t require her to charge so much money to make more money, only to break even.
In my opinion Higher aspiration doesn’t absolve someone of taking advantage of others, even if it is “fair price” according to capitalism.
Sure it could be important to her. In my opinion that changes her desires from “wanting to make music” to “wanting to make more money”.
I have yet to understand how it is “moral” for someone in a society to gather such disparate worth, and then call them “successful”. Is society success defined by how much you take advantage of others?
Wealth is a funny thing. Especially these days with so much money at the top. I don’t begrudge someone being wealthy. I begrudge those that make money on their money and call it work.
So then make your music, schedule less tour dates, and drive a tour bus like everybody else.
Well apparently the planet isn’t important to her.