TechCrunch reports that Meta has shut down Instagram and Threads accounts dedicated to tracking private jets, making it increasingly difficult to keep track of where celebrities fly and their carbon footprint. It is said that there is “Given the risk of physical harm to individuals and following the recommendations of an independent oversight committee, we have disabled these accounts that violated our privacy policy,” Mehta told the publication. Deleted accounts include those that tracked the flights of Taylor Swift, Bill Gates, and Meta Inc. boss Mark Zuckerberg himself.
Jack Sweeney, a college student in his early 20s who manages the account, confirmed the news on his personal account. This is the latest in a series of backlash he has faced in the past. In late 2022, Elon Musk suspended Sweeney’s @ElonJet account, which had been tracking Musk’s flights on X (then Twitter). He quickly created an account with the handle @ElonJetNextDay and posted about Musk’s flight a day late. And a year later, Taylor Swift’s lawyer told Sweeney, “This may be a game to you, a path to wealth and fame that you hope will take you, but it’s life… for our client.” is a matter of death.”
In May, Sweeney’s job became a little more difficult when the Biden administration allowed anyone who owns a private jet to make their registration data anonymous. But Sweeney said with tips and other research, it’s still doable.
