Recently, the Santa Tracker Twitter account was suspended from the social media platform. Ever year during the Christmas season, NORAD tracks Santa Clause’s flight path in real time as he is delivering presents to children around the world.
Twitter users were surprised to find the Santa Tracker suspended from Twitter yesterday. There is growing speculation this is related to Elon Musk’s policy against “doxxing”, the practice of publishing private, identifying information about an individual such as their location. Technically, publishing Santa’s location in real time would be considered doxxing.
Omg pic.twitter.com/IjJtqA0RNb
— Pillows 🎅🏻 Slippers 🎄 (@JackPosobiec) December 16, 2022
The official NORAD Santa tracker Twitter account is still active. However, it has not tweeted since 2021, raising suspicion that it may be the result of Elon’s anti-doxxing efforts on Twitter.
One Twitter user wrote:
“BREAKING: The NORAD Santa Flight Tracker has not tweeted since 2021. It is unclear if this is a result of Elon Musk’s push to suspend live-location tracking of flights and celebrities. The North Pole has not responded to our requests for comment.”
BREAKING: The NORAD Santa Flight Tracker has not tweeted since 2021.
It is unclear if this is a result of Elon Musk’s push to suspend live-location tracking of flights and celebrities.
The North Pole has not responded to our requests for comment. pic.twitter.com/xJi0L8GLK9
— CLG PunsAndBuns (@punsandbunsgg) December 16, 2022
Elon Musk has recently cracked down on Twitter users who engage in doxxing following an incident where his son was stalked in Los Angeles.
Musk tweeted:
“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 traveled to on a slightly delayed basis isn’t a safety problem, so is ok.”
“Last night, car carrying lil X in LA was followed by crazy stalker (thinking it was me), who later blocked car from moving & climbed onto hood. Legal action is being taken against Sweeney & organizations who supported harm to my family.”
Anyone recognize this person or car?
Last night, car carrying lil X in LA was followed by crazy stalker (thinking it was me), who later blocked car from moving & climbed onto hood.
Legal action is being taken against Sweeney & organizations who supported harm to my family.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 15, 2022
Attached to the thread is a video of the stalker dressed in all black with a balaclava covering his face. The individual thought he was stalking Musk, however, it was only his son in the vehicle. This highlights the issue of doxxing, where individuals with malicious intent can obtain your exact location.
Musk has also indicated he will be taking legal action against Jack Sweeney, a college student and programmer who created the @elonjet flight-tracking account that publicly displays the location on Elon’s jet.
Musk has also been suspending journalists who have participated in his doxxing, by sharing links by sharing links to the Elon jet tracker. The suspended accounts include several high profile individuals from the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post.
Elon stated in a meeting with various journalists:
“Showing real-time information about somebody’s location is inappropriate. There is not going to be any distinction in the future between journalists and regular people. Everyone is going to be treated the same.”
“You dox, you get suspended, end of story.”
NORAD usually monitors aerospace in event of nuclear attack, but over the last 60 years the American organization has tipped their Santa hats to sharing the whereabouts of Father Christmas as a bit of festive fun over the holidays.
While doxxing may threaten the safety of normal individuals, it could bring an end to the long-held tradition of tracking Santa Clause.
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