Taylor Swift's Private Jet Tracking: Legalities and Privacy Concerns
Taylor Swift and Elon Musk have voiced their concerns about the real-time location tracking of their private jets. This article explores the legality of such tracking and the privacy concerns it raises.
The Legality of Tracking Private Jets
Taylor Swift and Elon Musk are among those who are against the real-time location data of their private jets being published online. In the United States, however, this data is legally available for tracking purposes. While websites that track commercial flights use this data for consumer insights, it can also be used by anyone to track private planes.
Even though celebrities like Taylor Swift are concerned about potential privacy breaches, tracking their planes based on publicly available data is not illegal. This poses a valid concern for private jet owners, as the technology now allows anyone with an internet connection to track private planes in real time.
Experts and advocates, such as Dan Hubbard from the National Business Aviation Association, highlight the dangers this poses to the safety and privacy of private jet owners. The expansion of technology has made it easier for anyone, anywhere in the world, to track private planes without any restriction.
How Taylor Swift's Jet is Being Tracked
Jack Sweeney, a college student, runs multiple social media accounts that track various aircraft owned by celebrities, billionaires, and politicians. These accounts also provide carbon footprint analyses of the flights.
To obtain the information, Sweeney uses publicly available data from multiple sources, including registration information from the Federal Aviation Administration and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data transmitted by the planes themselves. ADS-B technology is required by the FAA and shares real-time position and altitude information with flight traffic controllers.
While ADS-B technology enhances safety and flight efficiency, it also enables websites like FlightAware.com to display real-time commercial flight locations. However, this technology does not distinguish between private and commercial planes, allowing tracking of private jets as well.
Legal Aspects of Real-Time Location Tracking
The equipment necessary to receive ADS-B transmissions is readily available and affordable, allowing websites to publish flight data obtained directly from the planes. These websites are not obligated to follow the FAA's opt-out rules for private jet owners.
For example, ADS-B Exchange gathers data from aviation hobbyists equipped with the necessary tools, providing an accurate real-time picture of plane locations, including private ones. While this data reveals take-off and landing locations, it doesn't disclose the passengers' identities.
The founder of ADS-B Exchange clarified that their purpose is not to facilitate paparazzi activities but to cater to aviation enthusiasts. They do not remove public figures' data as it is already widely accessible. However, this poses privacy concerns for celebrities like Taylor Swift and Elon Musk.
Privacy Concerns vs. Legal Definitions
Both Elon Musk and Taylor Swift have raised concerns about their safety due to the tracking of their private jets. Swift's lawyers have accused Sweeney's accounts of causing direct harm and distress, prompting fears for her personal safety.
However, under the law, tracking flights and publishing their locations does not meet the legal definitions of stalking or doxxing. Privacy and technology experts explain that sharing publicly available information, even if it raises concerns for public figures, does not constitute stalking or malicious intent.
While there may be valid safety concerns regarding celebrity private-jet users, experts argue that posts like Sweeney's and the operation of flight tracking websites do not meet the criteria for stalking or doxxing. Instead, they simply make publicly available information more visible due to technology advancements.
