Taylor Swift wants Florida college student to stop tracking her jet – Does she have the legal ground?
ORLANDO, Fla. - Fresh off making Grammy history, Taylor Swift is jet-setting off to her Tokyo concerts, and then, she's expected back for Sunday’s Super Bowl. As she flies, attorneys for the star want a Florida college student to stop tracking her private jet.
Swift’s attorneys are trying to ground a social media account, tracking the movements of her private jet. The Washington Post first reported, the singer’s team wants to "Shake Off" University of Central Florida student, Jack Sweeney, who runs the account.
They sent him a cease and desist.
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"It skeeves me out just thinking about it," said Tampa resident, Ashley Schulz.
"If you put yourself in Taylor Swift's shoes that would be really creepy, I wouldn't want that," said Tampa resident Lauren Scaggs.
Jack Sweeney had a public feud with Elon Musk over the billionaire's jet movement.
While the jet tracker might be creepy to some, Sweeney, who tracks the private jets of celebrities and politicians – like Kim Kardashian and Governor Ron DeSantis – argues the information is publicly available through government databases.
Sweeney had a very public feud with Elon Musk over the billionaire’s jet. During that controversy, he spoke with FOX 13's sister station, FOX 35 in Orlando.
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"Everything I’ve shared is public information," said Sweeney. "I would say I’m not the source of the issue, inherently the technology that’s out there is not secure that the FAA has implemented," said Sweeney.
Stetson College of Law professor Catherine Cameron, an expert on the first amendment, tends to agree with Sweeney.
Jack Sweeney and Taylor Swift have bad blood after the singer sent the Florida college student a cease and desist order to stop him from tacking her private jet.
"Although I sympathize with her desire to protect her own safety, I really struggle to know what extra information someone could get out of seeing her flight log," said Cameron. "Her schedule is pretty public, especially when she has concerts going on like she does right now. Or public appearances. It's known where she's going. I don't think it's a surprise."
Cameron said while current law may not give the singer the legal ground she's looking for, protecting her flight path could usher in a new "era."
"There are ways to have laws that would prohibit this, but they just don't exist right now. If it was something that really outraged the public, they certainly could talk to their legislatures about creating such a law," said Cameron.