Meta has banned a series of accounts run by a college student named Jack Sweeney that post location updates on private jets owned by wealthy and powerful individuals such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump. The accounts have been deleted from Threads and Instagram, with corresponding Facebook accounts set to be deleted soon.
Sweeney defended his flight tracker project, stating that it has journalistic value and raises awareness about the environmental impact of jet travel. Meta’s communications director cited the risk of physical harm to individuals as the reason for the ban, following a recommendation from the company’s Oversight Board to remove references to individuals’ residences.
The ban is part of Meta’s increasing moderation of content shared on its platforms, including a decision to stop recommending accounts that post political content. Elon Musk previously banned the tracking accounts from posting his jet’s movements on Twitter and threatened legal action against Sweeney.
Sweeney has been threatened by attorneys working for Taylor Swift over tracking her jet’s movements as well, and Meta removed those accounts earlier this year. Jet location information can be obtained through various methods, including the Federal Aviation Administration and jet-tracking services using intercept hardware.
Sweeney has not plans to create similar delayed tracking accounts on Meta, citing lack of transparency from the company. Stone, the Meta communications director, did not specify whether the ban applies to delayed accounts, stating that determinations would be based on safety considerations.
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