The Federal Aviation Administration has made a new decision to withhold personal information about private aircraft owners, including their names, addresses, and contact details, from public view upon request. This decision is partly in response to privacy concerns, especially after celebrities like Taylor Swift faced public scrutiny over their private jet usage, which was tracked using publicly available FAA data.
Under new legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden on May 16, 2024, private aircraft owners can now submit requests to have their aircraft’s registration numbers withheld from public records for non-commercial flights. The FAA is also considering making this the default policy for all private aircraft owners in the public registry.
The law, known as the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, includes Section 803, which focuses on data privacy. Aircraft owners with security concerns can apply for a new identification code for their aircraft, which is used in global air traffic tracking systems. This change is expected to make it more difficult for the public to track private aircraft, including those owned by high-profile individuals like Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, and other celebrities.
Swift, in particular, became a target for criticism over her jet travel, especially after a study in 2022 ranked her as one of the top contributors to carbon emissions due to her frequent flights. However, her team clarified that the jet is often loaned out to other individuals, meaning not all trips can be attributed to her.
Jack Sweeney, a University of Central Florida student, has tracked Swift’s private jet for years, gaining attention in 2023. His account was widely followed, especially during events like NFL games. Although Swift’s legal team sent cease and desist letters to Sweeney and had his Instagram account removed, he continues to track her jet on other platforms.
