Meta has suspended several Instagram and Threads accounts that track the private jets of high-profile celebrities. The accounts, run by Jack Sweeney, targeted figures like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Kim Kardashian, and former U.S. President Donald Trump. On Monday, Sweeney revealed that the accounts, which used publicly available data to track flight paths, were disabled. Messages on the affected accounts read, “The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.”
Sweeney became known for his popular @ElonJet account on X, which faced a similar suspension last year. Speaking on Threads, he stated, “Today feels like December 15, 2022.” This is referencing the date when his @ElonJet account was banned on Twitter.
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In response, Meta explained that it had suspended the accounts due to privacy concerns and risks to individuals. A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch, “Given the risk of physical harm to individuals, and in keeping with the independent Oversight Board’s recommendation, we’ve disabled these accounts for violating our privacy policy.”
One of Sweeney’s accounts, which tracked Taylor Swift’s jet, was also deactivated after the singer threatened legal action earlier this year. Swift’s legal team accused Sweeney of engaging in “stalking and harassing behavior.”
Sweeney noted that at least 38 of his flight-tracking accounts have now been suspended across platforms, including X and Threads. He emphasized that the recent development reminded him of his earlier suspension from Twitter. Despite these actions, Sweeney has maintained that tracking high-profile individuals remains possible through public data sources and tips from flight-tracking enthusiasts.
