Twitter user Jack Sweeney is the person behind @ElonJet, an automated account that tracks the comings and goings of Elon Musk’s personal jet — without Musk’s approval, it should be noted.
On Sunday, Sweeney went on Twitter with what he called “My Twitter Files,” accusing Musk and the platform of shadowbanning the account. (Shadowbanning is a process that makes a user’s profile and posts harder to find and share.)
In the thread, Sweeney wrote:
“Internal messages obtained by a anonymous Twitter employee explained to me that on “Dec 2 2022 your account @elonjet was visibility limited/restricted to a severe degree internally.”
Internal messages obtained by a anonymous Twitter employee explained to me that on “Dec 2 2022 your account @elonjet was visibility limited/restricted to a severe degree internally.”
— Jack Sweeney (@JxckSweeney) December 11, 2022
As evidence, he shared this screenshot reading: “Screenshots show Ella Irwin VP at Twitter Trust and Safety requesting elonjet to have heavy VF (visibility filtering)”
Screenshots show Ella Irwin VP at Twitter Trust and Safety requesting elonjet to have heavy VF (visibility filtering) pic.twitter.com/ehHJpo4zQR
— Jack Sweeney (@JxckSweeney) December 11, 2022
He later wrote that the situation seems to have been remedied, stating “It appears @ElonJet is [no] longer banned or hidden in anyway. I think Twitter noticed my tweets and back tracked. Guilty in my book.”
Related: Elon Musk’s Demanding Daily Routine
It appears @ElonJet is longer banned or hidden in anyway. I think Twitter noticed my tweets and back tracked. Guilty in my book. pic.twitter.com/MRxVbPaXxS
— Jack Sweeney (@JxckSweeney) December 12, 2022
As reported by Business Insider, Sweeney operates more than 30 plane-tracking accounts that publicly display the private jet travel patterns of people including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.
Related: Elon Musk’s New Private Jet Is Something to Behold. But How Bad Is It for the Climate?
While Musk has said that this account poses a security risk for him and other wealthy travelers, he has stated that he wouldn’t shut it down because of his commitment to free speech on Twitter.
My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 7, 2022
Related: What Leaders Can Learn From Elon Musk’s Unorthodox Twitter Takeover