Twitter removes “bot account” tracking Elon Musk’s jet, here’s why – Times of India

It has been over a month since Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in October. The micro-blogging site has gone through several policies and personnel changes since Musk’s takeover. In November, Musk shared a tweet to extend his commitment towards free speech by not banning the account that follows his plane, “even though that is a direct personal safety risk”. Now, Twitter has reportedly suspended the account that tracked Elon Musk’s private jet in real-time. According to a report by Reuters, the billionaire has also threatened to take legal action against the account’s operator after his son was allegedly followed by a “crazy stalker”.
What is ElonJet
ElonJet is a “bot” or automated account operated by a 20-year-old university student named Jack Sweeney. This account tracked the movements of Musk’s private jet using data available in the public domain before it was suspended. Twitter briefly reinstated the account before suspending it. The social media platform also explained that sharing “live location information” was a violation of its policy. Apart from this, Twitter has also suspended other accounts handled by Sweeney. Both Twitter and Sweeney are yet to share an official statement about the issue.

Why Twitter banned ElonJet
Elon Musk recently said that any account found “doxxing” the real-time location info of any user will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation. “Doxxing” refers to publicly releasing sensitive information like home address or phone number to identify an individual or organisation. However, Musk even mentioned that posting locations that someone has travelled to on a slightly delayed basis are okay as it isn’t a safety concern.
Musk also tweeted that one of his sons, Lil X, has been harassed using these tracking accounts. He mentioned that a car carrying his son in LA was recently followed by a crazy stalker who thought Lil X to be Elon Musk. The stalker later blocked the car from moving and climbed onto its hood. Musk even mentioned that legal action will be taken against Sweeney & organisations who supported harm against his family.

Who is Jack Sweeney and how did he react
Jack Sweeney is a student at the University of Central Florida, who also operates similar bot accounts tracking Musk’s jet on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram. In a statement to Buzzfeed, Sweeney said that the suspension of his accounts is “a surprise to many people” after Musk publicly said that he won’t remove the account.
Sweeney also recently shared a tweet mentioning that Ella Irwin, Twitter’s vice president of trust and safety, has requested the account to be filtered and made less visible to users. In 2021, Musk also reportedly offered $5,000 to the student to shut down the account. The social media platform has also reportedly suspended Twitter accounts tracking the jets of billionaire tech entrepreneurs Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.