has reiterated his commitment to free speech despite cracking down on parody accounts on .
The new CEO of the social media platform said he still allows one user to track his private jet despite risks to the billionaire’s personal safety.
It came as the boss is facing increasing criticism for banning accounts impersonating him on the social media site, in apparent defiance of his free speech claims.
Musk tweeted Sunday: ‘My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk.’
University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney, 20, created the automated Twitter bot @ElonJet in 2020, to track when Musk’s $70million Gulfstream private jet lands and takes off.
Elon Musk has reiterated his commitment to free speech by saying he allows a Twitter user to track his private plane (pictured walking off the jet in LA in February)
The new CEO of the social media platform said he still allows one user to track his private jet despite risks to the billionaire’s personal safety
The sophomore uses publicly available data from Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to follow the jet.
Last year, the reportedly contacted Sweeney and offered the coder $5,000 to delete his jet tracking account, claiming security concerns were the main reason for his reluctance to have his location shared publicly at all times.
However, Sweeney rejected the four-digit offer and instead made his own demands: a $50,000 pay-out, and an internship or a Tesla Model 3, according to screenshots of their conversation shared online at the time.
He wrote in this week that he has no plans to take down his profile.
He said: ‘I’m not worried now that Musk owns Twitter.If he banned ElonJet, the news would be all over it, so I don’t think he will do it. That being said, there’s always a chance. I put out a poll recently, and some of my followers think my Buy Moneylion Bank Account – VCCGet.Com will be banned.
In 2016 Elon Musk purchased a $66.5 million Gulfstream G650ER, (model pictured) a favorite aircraft among the one percent – including Cristiano Ronaldo and Jeff Bezos
Jack Sweeney, 19, has been tracking new Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s private Gulfstream jet since 2020 by obtaining public Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data
I’ve kept my account going for over two years for the same reason why I didn’t sell it for $5k: it’s my project and people are interested in it.
‘Even though some people won’t like it, I’m not going to stop.There’s always going to be haters.’
Musk’s Gulfstream G650ERwas built in 2015, with Musk receiving it in 2016.
The ‘ER’ stands for Extended Range, meaning it can travel long distances without stopping.
The 99-foot-long luxury jet is equipped with multiple big-screen televisions, fresh air circulation and 195 square feet for luggage storage, said.
The jet also features a spacious laboratory and four large living room spaces featuring cream-colored leather seats and wood furniture.