FAIRBANKS — Santa Claus’ Facebook account has been reinstated after the social media company suspended his access and demanded proof of identity on Christmas Day.
Claus, a North Pole city councilman, said he was never given a reason why his page was blocked. He said he thought Facebook didn’t believe his name was Santa Claus or that he lived in North Pole.
A Facebook spokeswoman apologized in an email Tuesday for suspending Claus’ account and said it was done by mistake.
“The account was removed in error and restored as soon as we were able to investigate,” the company said in a statement. “Our team processes millions of reports each week, and we sometimes get things wrong.”
To get his account reinstated, Claus said he sent multiple documents proving his identity, including copies of his Alaska driver’s license and letter of appointment to the North Pole City Council. Claus said he is the only Santa Claus on Facebook who resides in the city and legally goes by the name.
“I just can’t believe somebody, particularly on Christmas, would take me to task,” he said.
Claus, who goes on his Facebook page regularly, said he uses the social media platform to share “nice quotes” and interact with people. His page has more than 300,000 “likes.”
