Instagram and Threads accounts that track private jets of politicians, tech moguls, and other celebs have been disabled

It looks like the skies just got a little quieter — or at least more private — for celebrities and oligarchs alike. In a move that mirrors the chaos on X in 2022, Meta has followed suit by banning several high-profile accounts that track the private jets of celebs and billionaires across its social media platforms, Instagram and Threads. The man behind the grounded jet-tracking accounts? Jack Sweeney, a Florida college student with a knack for publicly sharing the whereabouts of some of the wealthiest people in the world.

Sweeney first made headlines in 2022 when Elon Musk, fresh from his Twitter takeover, permanently suspended Sweeney’s infamous @ElonJet account, citing safety concerns. Musk publicly claimed the account was endangering his personal security, and Twitter (or rather, X) swiftly clipped Sweeney’s wings. Fast forward to 2024, and Sweeney’s flight logs are once again grounded — this time on Meta’s platforms.

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On Monday, Meta deactivated 38 of Sweeney’s accounts that were tracking jets of not just Musk, but a who’s who of the rich and famous, including Jeff Bezos, Taylor Swift, Bill Gates, and even Russian oligarchs. Meta claims the bans were necessary to avoid “physical harm” to the individuals being tracked. According to Sweeney, there was no warning, no heads-up — just a sudden blackout of his accounts, which he described as having “no options to interact or receive information,” as if they were wiped clean. He wasn’t even able to log into the Oversight Board’s website to appeal the bans.

“Today feels like December 15, 2022,” Sweeney quipped, referencing the date his @ElonJet account was permanently grounded on X. Déjà vu, indeed.

Interestingly, Sweeney’s tracking data isn’t coming from some shady insider; it’s all publicly available information. He pulls flight data from services like ADS-B Exchange, which is legal in the U.S. thanks to regulations that make flight paths and movements publicly accessible — even the president’s plane, Air Force One, can be tracked online.

Despite this, Meta justified its decision by citing privacy concerns and the potential for physical danger, echoing the sentiment Musk raised back in 2022. A Meta spokesperson said that their actions followed recommendations from their independent Oversight Board, who weighed in on the issue.

While Sweeney’s accounts tracking Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis were initially spared, Meta didn’t leave them untouched for long. Following a report by Fortune that called out their omission, Meta quickly swept those accounts into the same digital dustbin.

Taylor Swift, the subject of one of Sweeney’s more notorious accounts, had previously threatened legal action against him, accusing him of stalking and harassment. That account was shut down earlier this year after Swift’s legal team intervened, but Sweeney had managed to continue tracking others — until now.

So why the sudden move from Meta? Sweeney himself is unsure, pointing out that the accounts had been running for years without issue. “If Meta gave me a warning, I would’ve delayed it,” Sweeney said, noting that he had even made a similar concession with X, agreeing to delay tracking Musk’s jet. But Meta, it seems, didn’t offer him the same courtesy.

Whether you side with Meta’s privacy concerns or Sweeney’s argument that he’s merely sharing public information, one sure thing is that the debate over tracking the world’s wealthiest fliers is far from grounded.