Elon Musk Twitter: Billionaire threatens legal action against Twitter account that tracked his private jet

When Elon Musk took over Twitter, the fear was that he would loosen a grip on controls so much that hate speech would become rife in the name of freedom of speech.

But now the social media site’s new chief executive has demonstrated even he has his limits on what users can post – banning an account that tracked his own private jet.

Mr Musk banned the @elonjet flight-tracking account set up by 20-year-old Jack Sweeney from Florida. The account used publicly available flight data.

Mr Musk claimed the account put the safety of his son at risk, and threatened legal action against Mr Sweeney while freezing his personal account, @JxckSweeney.

Elon Musk said a Twitter account which followed his private jet was putting his son at risk. Picture: Getty Images

Hours after his initial suspension of the account on Wednesday, Mr Musk reinstated it, but with new conditions on all Twitter users not to share anyone’s exact location.

However, the billionaire soon barred the account again after stating a “crazy stalker” had attacked a car in Los Angeles carrying his young son.

"Last night, car carrying [his son] lil X in LA was followed by crazy stalker (thinking it was me), who later blocked car from moving and climbed onto hood," Mr Musk tweeted.

There is no evidence that the attack was in any way linked to use of the private jet account.

"He said this is free speech and he's doing the opposite," said Mr Sweeney, who set up the account two years ago, with a map and an estimate of the amount of jet fuel and carbon emissions the aircraft expended.

He also tracks the private jets of a number of other rich American personalities, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg. It has been reported Mr Musk reportedly offered Mr Sweeney $5,000 [£4,093] to delete the account voluntarily.

Mr Musk tweeted on Wednesday evening: "Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation. This includes posting links to sites with real-time location info."

Doxxing is a term that refers to publishing private or identifying information about someone on the internet.

Twitter's Help Centre has posted an updated media policy that begins: "You may not publish or post other people's private information without their express authorisation and permission."

Mr Musk has previously insisted he is an advocate of free speech, tweeting “the bird is freed” on the day he took control, in reference to a loosening on regulations on the site.

He has said he would be happy to reinstate the account of former US president Donald Trump, who was banned under the previous Twitter ownership. Mr Trump subsequently said he would be happy to stay on an alternative social network. Fears over the content which could be published on Twitter under Mr Musk’s ownership concerned advertisers, some of whom said they would no longer work with the platform.

Just this week, Mr Musk attacked Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau for his online Bill, which is designed to require web giants to compensate journalism outfits for reposting their content - condemning it as “an attempt to muzzle the voice of the people of Canada”.