Did Taylor Swift threaten legal action against student who tracked her private jet usage?

Question

Student used publicly available information to track Taylor Swift's private jet usage and emissions. Swift's legal team sent the student a cease and desist for and threatened legal action if he did not stop his “stalking and harassing behavior.”

Comments

Yes this is true, after doing more research, The Washington Post, recently came out with an article, "Taylor Swift threatens legal action against student who tracks her jet." Harwell goes into detail, about legal action, "have no choice but to pursue any and all legal remedies."

This factcheck is true and nicely done, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

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This claim turns out to be true. After doing some digging myself I found an article by Catherine Thorbecke on CNN. Thornbe cake writes that Sweeney operates the accounts on several social media platforms using publicly-available flight data and recently it was confirmed that he received a cease-and-desist letter threatening legal action from attorneys of Swifts.
This fact is true.

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I liked your use of quotes that supported the original claim.

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Good work on citing your sources and clearly articulating why the claim is true. Nice work!!

Answer 1

This is true.

The original post was by the Instagram account Environment, which is a branch of Impact Digital Group; a team of young adults managing large digital platforms aimed to make appealing and accessible information. The post links its sources, which are The Washington Post, Forbes, CNN, and Yard; all reliable information I used myself in cross-checking the reliability of this post.

Taylor Swift's Legal Team has sent a cease-and-desist to the University of Central Florida Student Jack Sweeney, on accounts of facilitating stalking through his Instagram accounts dedicated to tracking Taylor Swift and other celebrities' flights. The legal team claims it is a life-or-death situation for Swift however Sweeney believes he should be able to spread public information with the cause of making aware of the large carbon footprint celebrities have over the rest of the population.

Swift's Legal Team is not threatening legal action on Sweeney for stalking, yet for allowing her whereabouts to be more accessible and increasing her likelihood of being stalked.

https://impact.site/

https://time.com/6692227/taylor-swift-cease-desist-letter-jack-sweeney-jet-tracker-emissions/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-02-07/taylor-swift-legal-action-cease-desist-teen-tracking-flights-jack-sweeney

Comments

This is a strong fact check! I like how you found the origin of the claim and explained the context of their content. I think using sources such as The Washington Post, CNN, and Forbes was smart because they are known to be reliable. I also used Yard for my fact check but the article I read noted that the information is not completely conclusive nor peer-reviewed. Perhaps the information from the article you read is fact-checked, but now I'm aware that Yard is not always 100% reliable. To make this fact check even stronger I would include quotes from the articles you researched.

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This is a great fact check. I like how you did your research as to the credibility and affiliations of the Instagram account and then where they got their information from. I think the more semantical analysis you did about the difference of Sweeney being threatened legal action for Stalking as opposed to Sweeney amplifying information about her private jet use.

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Great fact check! It is very clear and to-the-point, just as a strong fact check should be. You are extremely specific in your research and I trust all of the evidence applied in your comment.

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This is an accurate fact check, and it matches what I have also seen while researching. I would just add that it doesn’t look like the threats of being sued have deterred him, as he was tracking her flight from Japan to LA. Also, her flight landed in Las Vegas for the Superbowl.
 
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/taylor-swift-flight-tracker-live-updates-super-bowl-tokyo/9558df995e487a37706879cf

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This is a great fact check, its funny seeing this now as this is the same person that tracked the flights of Elon Musk, Musk has also sued this person and lost so im curious what will happen this time given all the information he is posting is all public information.

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Your answer was great and gave me all the information I needed. I had not heard anything about this situation so im glad ive got your sources to now learn more from!

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This fact check is very in-depth and has linked credible sources. The research was thorough and clear to the point. It provided a good background on the subject, which helped build credibility.

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This is a strong fact check as it has many reputable sources, but it could be made stronger by finding the public record of the cease and desist itself. It has been posted a few times and used as a source in the article, but directly linking it allows for any bias in the reporting of the event to be removed.

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I think this is a very strong fact check. You did a good job laying out the entire situation and made it easy to understand what is happening with the lawsuit. The sources you used also seem credible and match other sources I've seen online.

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This is a good fact check because it adds several reliable sources of information surrounding the topic, and it identifies any parts of the claim that might cause confusion and adds more context.

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I confirm that the fact check provided is accurate and straightforward. The sources cited are reputable, and the background information on the subject is reliable. I appreciate that the information on stalking was included as it is often overlooked when discussing this issue.

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This is a great fact check. The amount of sources with the evidence within them makes this valid. Very straightforward and trustworthy information.

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This is a good fact-check! You did a great job at explaining the claim and why it is true. This is  a reliable and true piece of information.

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This is a very strong fact check. I also appreciate how you found information that state Taylor Swifts wearabouts are going to become more known to the public, in hopes of avoiding stalking. You did a great amount of research, and provided a lot of information.

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This is a really good fact check and it is very clear and concise. The sources that you provided are very beneficial in proving your point.

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This is true.

Taylor Swift's attorneys have threatened legal action against Jack Sweeney, a college student who tracks Swift's jet use from publicly available data.

Swift's spokesperson admitted that Sweeney's posts were not indicative of Swift's exact whereabouts, and the timing of stalkers suggests a connection, indicating that Sweeney's actions weren't posing a direct threat to Swift's safety.

Sweeney emphasized in his statement on ABC News, "I think the people are interested and that you should have a decent expectation that your jet will be tracked whether or not I do it as after all it is public information." Although this information is true, it is worth noting that tracking Swift's jet use via publicly available data is bound to happen.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/jet-tracking-account-gave-taylor-swifts-stalkers-roadmap/story?id=106998429

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/06/taylor-swift-jet-cease-desist-jack-sweeney

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I agree with this statement, and I believe you explained it perfectly. You provided numerous valid and reliable sources to support your argument.

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Great fact check. This is a fascinating topic because it gets into the issue of what information should be public, and what information should be private. It seems like Taylor Swift is trying to intimidate this student to maintain her reputation.

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This is a very informative and straight forward fact check. This is the first I have heard of it in the light of her worrying about being stalked which is interesting and actually valid so it is nice you included that after seeing her being blasted on the internet without this in mind. However, the information is public and he doesn't seem to be breaking any rules so it is a tough right or wrong for sure. I like how you included both sides.

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Great fact check. I'm impressed by the number of sources you found to back your claim, and I also think it helpful that you cross-referenced the validity of all these sources. I learned something in your fact check as well--I didn't realize claims Taylor Swift could potentially sue for stalking.

Answer 2

This is True. According to The Washington Post, "In December, Swift’s attorney at the Washington law firm Venable wrote Sweeney a cease-and-desist letter saying Swift would “have no choice but to pursue any and all legal remedies” if he did not stop his “stalking and harassing behavior.” This quote from the article shows that Taylor Swift is threatening to sue a kid who used public information against her. This seems very unnecessary because she already has so much money, but I guess her reputation matters to her more than anything. 

Comments

This is a useful fact check. The Washington Post, according to Ad Fontes Media (https://adfontesmedia.com/washington-post-bias-and-reliability/), is reliable though biased towards the left. However, I wish you had linked the article you used; this could allow you to discuss the author as well as the reputability of the Washington Post. It might also be useful to cite more sources in case the article you used happens to be biased.
Additionally, and this is my biggest issue, I would recommend you avoid speculation and personal opinion in fact checks. The last line of your fact check comes completely from your opinion, and that might make it harder for people who do not share this perspective to accept the information you're sharing.

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I like how you include direct quotes from the sources you used. This makes it really easy to see your train of thought. Sometimes having going to the links included can be annoying.

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After reading your fact check I found it to be somewhat helpful. I like how you used a direct quote from the legal team to show some validity within your fact check, however I feel as though it would have been beneficial if you had put a link to the article in which you found the quote from. Next time when fact checking, just make sure to put your sources down to where you found your information so that we know that your claim is valid.

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Your fact check is correct, but it is not very extensive. I think it would benefit other users on this platform if you had included the link to the Washington Post article you're referencing, as well as including other sources. I also think you could have mentioned how trustworthy the original source/Instagram post was in reference to what you found. I think a little deeper analysis of the post and information about this situation would be good.

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This is a response to the comment from Porter_Levenson. It is easy to see the original answerer's train of thought, but there is a lack of information in their post. There is no analysis of the original source and only one source provided without the link. Part of doing the research and finding links is being able to source accurate information. If you're not doing that because you find it annoying, you probably won't be finding the most accurate information which may cause you to spread misinformation.

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I think that your claim was very insightful but not deep research. I think it would have helped if we could see the article that you were referring to and maybe include another article about it. To see what other news sources put out too.

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Upon reviewing your fact check, I discovered it to be useful. I appreciate the inclusion of a direct quote from the legal team, as it adds credibility to your fact check. However, it would have been easier if you had provided a hyperlink to the article from which the quote was sourced. In future fact-checking claims, it is essential to cite your sources to ensure the validity of your claims. Good job.

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I agree with the fact that the claim is true. However, I would recommend that you do more research and include the links to the sources you used to come to your conclusion and make citations in your post. I also think it's very important not to include opinions on the subject in your fact-checking post.

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I agree with your findings that this claim is true. However, there is a lack of research; I liked that you used a quote from her legal team, but you would have also benefited from linking the article as well. I also think your inclusion of personal opinion at the end of this fact-check was rather unnecessary.

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Your fact check provided some good insight to the issue and a good quote. I do think it would have helped to provide a direct link below to the Washington Post article to clarify what you were quoting. In addition I think a second source would be helpful, just to get a secondary opinion on the topic. The fact check is true, but more evidence is needed and the last sentence appears to be a personal opinion, stay away from that.

Answer 3

The original post is from the account Environment. This account has 823 thousand followers and posts content about pop-culture, trends and recent outcries on social media platforms. The account does provide sources for photos and the information on their posts. They included information about the incident such as the social media accounts of Sweeney. The account itself seems pretty legitimate because it provides the sources of information. According to The Washington Post, Jack Sweeney, a 22-year-old college student has been tracking and posting the coordinates to Taylor Swift and other public figures' flights. Taylor Swift, with the help of her lawyer, Katie Wright Marrone, sent Sweeney and cease-and-desist telling him she will pursue legal action if he does not stop posting her flight information and stalking/harassing her. According to The Rolling Stones Magazine, the cease-and-desist details that Sweeney's behavior and actions are causing Swift emotional harm and physical safety issues. 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swifts-lawyers-threaten-student-private-jet-tracker-1234962228/

https://twitter.com/Jxck_Sweeney

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

Comments

I appreciate your research into the account that posted the information and cross-checking this information with reliable articles. The main point of legal action is due to Swift's fear for safety, causing her emotional harm.

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This is a great fact-check. I like the thoroughness of your analysis of this claim. Especially for this, it was important to point out various credible sources to strengthen your answer/research.

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This is a strong fact check. You did a lot of research about the original source, which helps back up your ideas. By finding information on the source, while also adding information about other sources, you provide information that backs up your claim.

Answer 4

Taylor Swift has threatened legal action against a University of Central Florida student, Jack Sweeney, who tracks her private jet.  Jack Sweeney tracks public figures and celebrities. For example, he runs accounts that track Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg’s private jet movements. Sweeney gets his flight information from flight signals and the Federal Aviation Administration. According to Sweeney, he received a cease and desist letter from Taylor Swift’s attorney, Katie Morrone, which threatened legal action. Swift and Morrone accuse Sweeney of publishing this information “in exchange for public attention and/or request for financial gain.” This letter also mentioned how Elon Musk tried to bribe Sweeney to take down the information he posted about his private jet use. Morrone also brings up “While this may be a game to you, or an avenue that you hope will earn you wealth or fame, it is a life-or-death matter for our Client.” Morrone brought this up because Swift has multiple stalkers and harassers. This can make it easier for people to know where she is all the time. Swift has also said she loans her jet to other people, and she also buys carbon credits (This is a way to reduce greenhouse emissions and climate change.) to offset how much she uses her jet for the Eras Tour. 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/06/tech/taylor-swift-private-jet-tracker/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/06/taylor-swift-jet-cease-desist-jack-sweeney

https://carboncredits.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-carbon-credits/

Comments

I like your analysis of the question and the emphasis on the legal action being pursued. Swift's team believes this information is being used for his own financial/fame gain which in turn places shame and stalking behavior on Swift.

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You gave a good fact check and answer to the original question, and I especially appreciate how you brought up Sweeney's past legal issues with Elon Musk to strengthen the recent information.

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This is a good analysis of the claim. Writing and discussing Sweeney’s past other celebrities does add another layer of proof. By adding this it shows that Sweeney is not solely targeting Swift in this type of publication and has held other celebrities and influential people to the same standard. Also incorporating where Sweeney gets the information is an important addition as it is public information. I appreciate that you incorporated that Swift claims to let other people use her jet as well as information on carbon credits.

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This analysis supports the claim well. It shows Sweeney has covered other celebrities, not just Swift, using publicly available data. Mentioning Swift's jet loans and carbon credits adds depth.

Answer 5

This is true. 

Billboard released an article on February 2nd, 2024, after getting confirmation from Jack Sweeney that he received a cease-and-desist letter from Taylor Swift's attorney last December. The article also explains that Sweeney has been tracking flights for other celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump. "He cites publicly-available government flight data, alongside estimates of carbon emissions from each flight." 

After looking deeper into the situation, the letter sent to Sweeney, from Swift's lawyers, claims that the information Sweeney shared is a "life or death matter" for their client, Taylor Swift. This is due to increased stalking and personal violation attempts made on Swift in recent years. The letter does not flatly state that Sweeney is the one performing the stalking behavior, instead, it links recent stalking behavior to the jet information that Sweeney draws attention to. The letter states, "You essentially provide individuals intent on physically harming her, or with nefarious or violent intentions, a roadmap to carry out their plans." Sweeney's lawyer released another public statement calling the claims made by Swift's attorney unfounded and hyperbolic. 

I also looked into other articles about the same topic, and they all confirm that Sweeney received a cease-and-desist from Swift's legal team. I've linked these articles below with the Billboard article. I also confirmed that Sweeney is a student by reading an article posted by BBC, which states that Sweeney is currently a third-year University student at the University of Central Florida where he is working to get an information technology degree. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68248168

https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/taylor-swift-private-jet-tracker-threatened-lawsuit-1235600528/

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a46670942/every-detail-taylor-swift-private-jet-legal-case/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swifts-lawyers-threaten-student-private-jet-tracker-1234962228/

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/06/taylor-swift-jet-cease-desist-jack-sweeney

Comments

This was a great fact-check. The sources you referenced are reliable and I like the way you work through the information by speaking towards Sweeney's side and Taylor's Legal team. You addressed all aspects of the question.

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This is a fantastic fact-check for several reasons. Firstly, you answer the initial claim with the use of reputable sources. Then, you go a step further. It is helpful to understand the full context of the situation and realize the motives for Taylor Swift's legal team. It can be implied in the claim that Taylor Swift does not want people tracking her flights for fear of being labeled as a person with a high carbon footprint. After all, these are allegations that she has dealt with in the past and currently. However, the additional information provided shows a different motive as to why a cease and desist letter was sent.

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This was a well written fact check. I like how you included several sources and made sure to verify and back up all of your findings.

Answer 6

While it is true that legal action has been threatened against Jack Sweeney, it was written in a letter back in December by Swift's attorneys, not Swift directly. Jack Sweeney confirmed himself, according to CNN Business, that he received a cease-and-desist letter threatening to sue him for, what Swift's attorneys say, engaging in “stalking and harassing behavior, including consistently publishing real-time and precise information about our client’s location and future whereabouts to the public on social media.” Swift's legal team does not take this kind of action lightly, as the letter states this is a "life-or-death" matter. 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/06/tech/taylor-swift-private-jet-tracker/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

Comments

This is a great fact check. I enjoy that you made Taylor's attorneys known. I wasn't aware of this part of the story. It makes me wonder if it was Taylor or the attorney who first noticed Jack Sweeney and how Taylor responded. Two sources are always better than one, awesome work.

Answer 7

The claim that swift has "threatened" legal action is true.

The claim that the Instagram account "environment" makes is that "Taylor Swift is suing the college student who tracks and publicizes her private jet usage." I think it is important to note that that is the caption of the post. It is claiming she is actively suing the student who I learned from The Washington Post, the student's name is Jack Sweeney. On the other hand, the graphic that was posted says that she is "threatening legal action."  The Washington Post says "In December, Swift's attorney at the Washington Law firm Venable wrote Sweeney a cease-and-desist letter saying Swift would "have no choice but to pursue any and all legal remedies" if he did not stop his "stalking and harassing behavior." In regards to the claim of her suing Sweeney, that is not true. However, he has received two letters so far threatening to take legal action. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3DdsYXOYIa/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&img_index=1

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

Comments

This is a great fact check! I like how you included what was stated in the caption and not just the graphic that was posted.

Answer 8

This claim is true.

The post originates from the instagram account Environment. The post links it sources in CNN, Forbes, The Washington Post, and Yard. Each of these sources are major players in the media and are quite reliable and trustworthy sources. 

It is important to note that Taylor Swift and her team are not currently suing this young man. They are asking him to stop publishing and spreading information which they believe is illegal. There are many sources - specifically on social media - saying that Taylor is actively suing him. This is false. 

It is also important to mention that the information that Jack Sweeney - the boy in question - is utilizing is all very public information. Taylor is threatening legal action on the basis of stalking and harassment. Sweeney believes the information he is sharing should not be censored as it is public and anyone who looks for this information could do exactly what he does. Sweeney runs an instagram account that monitors celebrity private jet flights and calculates the total carbon emissions from their flights over the years.

https://time.com/6692227/taylor-swift-cease-desist-letter-jack-sweeney-jet-tracker-emissions/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

https://weareyard.com/insights/worst-celebrity-private-jet-co2-emission-offenders

True

Comments

This fact-check is strong because of the clarification of the situation and reliable sources used to back this fact-check. Very thorough and seemingly unbiased. I appreciate the links to the articles you used. I felt that this fact-check was concise and well-written.

Answer 9

https://time.com/6692227/taylor-swift-cease-desist-letter-jack-sweeney-jet-tracker-emissions/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

https://weareyard.com/insights/worst-celebrity-private-jet-co2-emission-offenders

Answer 10

This claim is true and the claim this user posted was from an Instagram account from Enviornment. Enviornment is a page about climate and culture. The original source from which the claim stemmed was a Washington Post article. I believe this claim is true and that her legal team had sent a cease-and-desist to the University of Central Florida student, Jack Sweeny. They reasoned that he had been stalking through accounts on Instagram dedicated to tracking celebrities' flights. Swift's team argued that this violated her rights and allowed the potential for her to be stalked, but Sweeny believes that he should be allowed to publish, post, and discuss flight plans in the name of carbon emission of celebrities to hold them accountable.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3DdsYXOYIa/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&img_index=1.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

Answer 11

This claim is in fact true. The original post came from an Instagram account called Environment. The post linked its sources including the Washtington Post, Forbes, CNN, and Yard, all known to be credible sources. 

The background on this case is that Taylor Swifts attorneys have threatened to take legal action against a Florida college student who tracks her flight paths and post them onto social media. His name is Jack Sweeney and he also used this information to target other celebrities as well. (Washington Post.) The author of this Washington Post article is Drew Harwell, he is a credible and acclaimed writer for the Post. The main claim is credible in the article title, "Taylor Swift threatens legal action against student who tracks her jet." Article is not biased. Quotes used all come from reliable sources. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/06/taylor-swift-jet-tracking-legal-threat/

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3DdsYXOYIa/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet