Twitter has permanently suspended all of the accounts operated by a teenager who tracked Elon Musk’s jet, despite a promise from the billionaire not to.
Recommended Stories
The social platform has permanently suspended multiple accounts operated by Jack Sweeney, a University of Central Florida student who programmed a series of Twitter bots to post the private jet activity of tech moguls and Russian oligarchs.
“My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk,” Musk tweeted on Nov. 6.
FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED DENIED BAIL IN BAHAMIAN COURT
@elonjet, the original account, was permanently suspended early Wednesday, only for the remainder of Sweeney’s accounts also to be permanently suspended Wednesday afternoon. These include accounts that track Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and a Russian oligarch’s private jet.
Sweeney posted screenshots alleging that Twitter’s head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, had asked staff to shadowban the account. The screenshot is unverified.
Twitter has a policy banning sharing private information without permission, including details about a user’s GPS location. While Twitter’s previous owners did not suspend Sweeney’s accounts, Musk’s decision to do so now makes the decision appear personal.
Musk later announced that Twitter had updated its private information to include new rules that would suspend accounts if they are “dedicated to sharing someone’s live location.” He also suggested that an unknown person was stalking his family.
Musk also said he would take legal action against Sweeney.
The account has been a pain for Musk, who attempted to pay Sweeney $5,000 to delete the account. Sweeney declined the offer and said he would consider it if Musk provided $50,000 and a Tesla Model 3.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The account is visible on Mastodon and Truth Social.
The social platform is currently in the state of adapting to Musk’s vision of content moderation. The company’s Trust and Safety Council, a third-party consulting organization for handling civil rights and online harassment, was dissolved on Tuesday after three members left. The company is also dealing with the implications of the “Twitter Files,” a series of internal documents released by Musk to allies regarding its approach to censorship.
