A man living in Alaska and who has legally changed his name to Santa Claus recently received a new year "present" from Facebook, as his disabled account on the platform was finally restored.
"We're very sorry about this mistake. The account was removed in error and restored as soon as we were able to investigate," Facebook said on Tuesday in a statement.
"Our team processes millions of reports each week, and we sometimes get things wrong," local media said quoting the statement.
Facebook page photo of "Santa Claus"
Facebook page photo of "Santa Claus"
Claus' Facebook account was suspended on Sunday, right on Christmas Day, as Facebook claimed that it looked like someone had gotten into his account via phishing.
Although Claus was not convinced by the argument, he still had to send Facebook staff various documents to prove his identity.
In order to retrieve his account that has been used for eight years, Claus provided copies of his passport, his driver's license, and letter of appointment to the North Pole City Council among other records.
As Facebook reinstated his account, Claus still felt confused as the social platform did not give the exact reason for the blocking.
This file photo taken on November 21, 2016 shows Facebook logos pictured on the screens of a smartphone (R), and a laptop computer, in central London. /CFP Photo
This file photo taken on November 21, 2016 shows Facebook logos pictured on the screens of a smartphone (R), and a laptop computer, in central London. /CFP Photo
"They just don't believe my name is Santa Claus or I live in the North Pole," Claus complained to local media, saying he felt singled out as many other accounts used the same name.
On his Facebook page, Claus introduces himself as "a child advocate and monk." The man was elected as a North Pole City councilman last October, according to the News-Miner newspaper of Alaska's Fairbanks city.
With over 30,000 likes, Claus' personal Facebook page is used to share photos of Alaska and "nice quotes" about life and religion.
(Story adapted from Xinhua)