Following the incident, Musk also announced new rules for posting locations of the platform. He said any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended since it could be a physical safety violation. But he said users could post delayed info on the platform. "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. Posting locations someone travelled to on a slightly delayed basis isn’t a safety problem, so is ok," he tweeted.

He also shared a video, in which a man with his face covered is seen in a car, purportedly the alleged stalker. "Anyone recognize this person or car?" Musk asked his followers. Many users commented, citing Twitter's new policy, that he should have taken written permission from the person in the video before he posted it online.

After the incident, Musk also deleted other accounts operated by Sweeney. As per the new Twitter policy, accounts tracking the private jets of other billionaires including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates were also suspended. Musk's latest decision is in stark contrast to what he claimed in November when he took over the social media company after buying it for $44 billion. "My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk," he said.

Sweeney, who also tracked Musk's private jet on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram, said it's a "surprise", especially after Musk's assurance last month. Previously, Sweeney had said that he declined Musk's request to shut down the account for $5,000.

Musk-led Twitter has been marred with several controversies since he took over the company. He has been on a mission to make Twitter the most accurate source of information but the task, as many claim, is full of challenges. He recently said Twitter has destroyed most of the bot or fake accounts operating on the platform. “Twitter is purging a lot of spam/scam accounts right now, so you may see your follower count drop,” he said. After making a couple of U-turns, this week Twitter announced that the Blue subscription is relaunching but at a higher price.

Jack Sweeney

Elon Musk suspends Twitter account tracking his location after promising not to do so