Plane-Tracking Student Just Got 'Zucked'

Elon Musk and Taylor Swift have long been irked by the antics of Jack Sweeney, the college student who tracks the jets of celebrities (including Musk, Swift, Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos, and Donald Trump, among others) and posts their locations online. Now, Meta has jumped into the fray, according to Sweeney, who says the company suspended his Instagram and Threads accounts without any kind of heads up, reports People.

• Sweeney's claims: In a lengthy statement posted on X, Sweeney claimed his tracking activity had been "Zucked"—a reference to Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg, one of the stars whose plane is tracked by Sweeney—and "blacked out," without any "warnings or status updates" from the social media giant. "What makes this more troubling is that I've received no communication from Meta—no warnings, no explanation," he added.

• Some shade for X: But while Sweeney's central message was focused on Meta, he didn't allow Musk's X to escape criticism, accusing it of "using the same tactics as the old Twitter; the only difference now is who's in charge." Sweeney added: "Ironically, Elon Musk, who once criticized Twitter for its lack of free speech, is now using the very same techniques—shadow-banning jet-tracking accounts and blocking links to public information that tracks his jet."
• Big picture: Sweeney noted that he's had nearly 40 accounts suspended all together across various social media platforms. At any rate, Sweeney wrote, "something clearly triggered this wave of suspensions, but as of now, I'm left without answers."
• Meta: The company has replied to Sweeney's claims, noting in a statement, "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." Business Insider notes that when Sweeney's jet-tracking accounts were suspended by X in late 2022, Musk similarly called them a "physical safety violation."
• What's next? Sweeney doesn't seem to want to resurrect his now-dead Threads accounts. "I think a new technology is needed," he says, per Business Insider, noting that he plans on pouring more effort into his own website to maintain control of his content.

(More Jack Sweeney stories.)