"Stop Tracking My Private Jet" Taylor Swift Warns College Student Tracking Carbon Emissions

"Continuous Harassment and Stalking Occur" Claims
Ongoing Criticism of Tokyo-Las Vegas Crossing

Famous American star Taylor Swift has threatened legal action against a college student who was tracking the carbon emissions of her private jet and posting location information. She strongly warned that such behavior constitutes harassment and stalking. This is interpreted as a direct confrontation in response to criticism from environmental groups after she became the 'top celebrity in carbon dioxide emissions' due to frequent private jet use.

On the 6th (local time), Bloomberg reported that Taylor Swift's lawyer threatened legal action against college student Jack Swinney. In a letter sent to Swinney, the lawyer stated, "Swinney continuously posted real-time information about our client's location, engaging in stalking and harassment," and added, "This may be a simple game or a chance to gain wealth or fame for you, but for our client, it is a matter of life and death."

Twenty-one-year-old Swinney, who attends the University of Central Florida, operates a social media account that tracks the private jets of the ultra-wealthy using publicly available data from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and estimates and discloses their carbon emissions. This account allows users to check the private jet routes and carbon emissions not only of Swift but also of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner. When Musk acquired X (formerly Twitter), he suspended this account, causing controversy.

Swinney issued a statement saying, "Whether I do it or not, shouldn't there be an expectation that her private jet will be tracked anyway?" and "Ultimately, this is public information."

Jack Swinney operates a dedicated Taylor Swift private jet tracking account. (Photo by Talor Swift Jets Twitter)

In fact, Swift has sparked controversy by traveling around the United States and the world on private jets, even for short distances. According to Yard, a sustainability marketing company in the UK, Swift ranked first among celebrities for the most carbon emissions in 2022. During the investigation period from January to July 2022, Swift flew her private jet 170 times, emitting 8,300 tons of carbon. This amount is 1,100 times more than the total carbon dioxide emissions an average person produces in a year.

Additionally, Swift has announced a flight crossing Tokyo, Japan, and Las Vegas, USA, so criticism is expected to continue for the time being. She plans to finish her Tokyo concert at 6 p.m. on the 10th and then fly to Las Vegas on the 11th to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce's National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl game in person. Bloomberg pointed out, "Swift is scheduled to fly 19,400 miles on one of her jets, a French Dassault Falcon 900 LX," and "It is expected to emit more than 100 tons of carbon."

However, Swift's spokesperson maintained that "before the tour started, Swift purchased more than twice the amount of carbon credits needed for the trip," insisting there is no problem.