Elon Musk's Jet-Tracker Grounded, But Other Real-Time Flight Data Takes Off?

A clash between a tenacious college student and Twitter owner Elon Musk once again takes center stage, as banning the jet-tracking account sparks a storm of controversy and accusations of biased enforcement. 

What Happened: Jack Sweeney, the "kid" who asked Musk for $50,000 but got banned instead from Twitter, has shared his perspective on the apparent inconsistent moderation he witnessed on the microblogging site since the tech billionaire assumed control of the platform.

According to Sweeney, Twitter accounts directly involving the billionaire seem to attract heightened scrutiny, hinting at a personalized approach to content monitoring, reported Business Insider.  

See Also: Why The Teen Who Tracks Elon Musk’s Jet Agreed To Stop Monitoring Mark Cuban

While Sweeney endured an extended ban lasting over six months, he couldn’t help but notice the recent emergence of multiple accounts blatantly sharing real-time flight data without facing any consequences. 

These accounts ranged from tracking the whereabouts of individuals such as former U.S. President Donald Trump and race car driver Max Verstappen to more general aviation location tracking. Even more perplexing, certain accounts brazenly posted real-time flight data linked to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin, a prominent figure associated with the Wagner Group, during Russia’s short-lived rebellion.

Sweeney also drew attention to the experiences of other prominent figures, including Aaron Greenspan, whose accounts were seemingly banned without clear justification in recent months.

For the unversed, Sweeney’s personal Twitter account and his portfolio of over 30 jet-tracking accounts, which meticulously followed the movements of some influential figures, were banned last year. 

The crackdown came shortly after Musk expressed concern over a tweet by Sweeney, stating that a “crazy stalker” had trailed a vehicle carrying his son—a situation that Sweeney’s jet-tracking account was allegedly linked to. 

Why It's Important: Sweeney has returned to the Twitterverse with a fresh personal account and accounts dedicated to tracking Musk’s private jet and Governor Ron DeSantis‘ aircraft. However, to comply with Twitter’s policies, Sweeney was compelled to introduce a 24-hour delay in the data shared by his accounts. 

This alteration, aimed at avoiding any policy violations, came at a cost—Sweeney experienced a significant decline in followers, the report noted. 

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