With Meta shutting down Instagram and Threads accounts dedicated to tracking private jets, it is now harder to know where celebrities are going and what their carbon emissions are, reports TechCrunch.
“Given the risk of physical harm to individuals, and in keeping with the recommendation of the independent Oversight Board, we have shut down these accounts for violating our privacy policy,” Meta told the publication.
The accounts that have been removed include those tracking the flights of Taylor Swift, Bill Gates, and Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg. Jack Sweeney, a college student in his early 20s who runs these accounts, confirmed the news on his personal account.
This is the latest in a series of resistance he has faced in the past. In late 2022, Elon Musk suspended Sweeney’s @ElonJet account – which tracked Musk’s flights – on X (then Twitter).
He soon created an account with the handle @ElonJetNextDay to post Musk’s flights with a one-day delay. Then, a year later, Taylor Swift’s lawyers sent Sweeney a cease and desist letter, saying, “While this may be a game to you, or a path that you hope to take to wealth or fame, it is a matter of life-or-death for our client.”
In May, Sweeney’s job got a little harder, as the Biden administration allowed anyone who owns a private plane to keep their registration data anonymous. However, Sweeney said tips and other research make it still possible. The Engadget crew had a quick chance to catch its collective breath this week, following CES and ahead of Samsung’s Unpacked.
But we still took a look at the deal machine to see which tech sales are worth your dollar. Right now, we’re seeing some good Apple deals – one on the latest iPad mini and another on the new 15-inch MacBook Air – as well as a first-time discount on the Kindle Colorsoft ereader.
There are some discounts on Bluetooth trackers to help you keep track of your keys and bag. And Best Buy is still running a promotion to give away three free months of Apple TV+ so you can start watching the just-released season two of Severance. Here are this week’s best tech deals you can still get today.