Internet divided as Jack Sweeney's lawyers say tracking Taylor Swift's private jet is 'nothing unlawful'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Lawyers for college student Jack Sweeney have claimed that his tracking of pop icon Taylor Swift's private jet is "nothing unlawful".

Sweeney, a Florida-based college student, had been served a cease-and-desist letter from Swift's legal team after he tracked and posted about the star's private jet movements on Instagram.

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His legal team's response to the request on Monday has made headlines.

Jack Sweeney's lawyers' response to Taylor Swift's legal threat

21-year-old Jack Sweeney made a playful reference to one of Swift's songs when he posted the letter his lawyers had sent in response to the singer’s legal threat on X.

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Sweeney tweeted, "Look What You Made Me Do," a nod to Swift's 2017 hit from her 'Reputation' album, along with a copy of the letter dated January 25.

The letter was in response to one the college student had received from Swift's lawyer, Katie Wright Morrone, in December.

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Morrone had warned that Swift would "pursue any and all legal remedies available to her" if Sweeney did not cease disclosing the location of her jet.

Morrone, from Venable LLP, accused the University of Central Florida junior, who reportedly operated the now-inactive Instagram account @taylorswiftjets, of "stalking and harassing" by posting real-time movements of the celebrity's private plane on social media.

In the initial letter, Morrone reportedly expressed that Sweeney's actions posed a serious threat to Swift's safety and wellbeing, describing it as a "life-or-death matter" for Swift, who has been dealing with stalkers since her teenage years.

However, Sweeney's attorney quickly responded, stating that Morrone failed to present any legal claim against Sweeney, who merely publishes publicly accessible data from the Federal Aviation Administration, an act they argue is his "protected speech."

"Put simply, there is nothing unlawful about [Sweeney's] use of publicly accessible information to track private jets, including those used by public figures like Taylor Swift," attorney James Slater of Slater Legal PLLC replied.

Sweeney's lawyer also pointed out that the student has also tracked and published the flight paths of jets owned by Russian oligarchs under sanctions and Elon Musk, per New York Post.

Swift's lawyer reportedly hinted at a potential claim under California's stalking law.

However, Slater argued that this law defines a stalker as someone who poses a "credible threat" to the victim, and Sweeney has never threatened Swift.

Slater also asserted that the information about the location of private jets does not endanger Swift's safety. 

"We do not know why you believed the best claim against an individual in Florida and his company is a California statute, but that, combined with the absence of any credible legal claim, suggests a groundless effort to intimidate and censor our clients," stated Slater. 

Jack Sweeney's lawyers' response sparks internet debate

People on social media have expressed a variety of opinions regarding this matter.

A user said on X, "Yea if that was your daughter and someone was posting her flight status knowing there are obsessed people in the world that would hurt her you wouldn't like that. A job is a job but there are limits to things."

Another person remarked, "She just doesn't want people knowing how much pollution she is responsible for."

"Taylor going to the other side of her jet to tell her lawyer to contact you," stated another. 

"Karma will come for you, Jack. It always does," mentioned another.

"The issue isnt about accessing public data and sharing it. The issue is your willingly sharing her location in real time prompting immediate safety concerns to her and/or her team," added another. 

"I don’t really care whether Taylor Swift’s jet tracking is posted publicly, nor do I think it’s provably very pleasant for her," added another.

"But…you’re reposting publicly available data, with no threats attached to those posts. The 1st Amendment absolutely protects that. Glad youre fighting."

"Just because you’re not breaking the law doesn’t mean it’s right. Why are you doing this after being asked to stop?" asked another.

Others blamed the college student calling him a "stalker."

"You tracked her even when she’s not using her jet. Stalker," said another.

"To put it simply, you’re stalking her. You’re a stalker," mentioned another.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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