WASHINGTON: A journalist’s X account was suspended following her investigation into the identity of an Elon Musk fan account.
Jacqueline Sweet, writing for The Spectator, discredited claims that the account was secretly operated by Musk himself.
The account, owned by Adrian Dittmann from Fiji, had sparked speculation due to its vocal support of Musk.
Sweet’s investigation confirmed Dittmann was a real individual and not an alternate persona of the billionaire.
Suspensions Follow Public Article Posting
Sweet published her findings debunking the theory that Dittmann’s account belonged to Musk.
Afterward, her X account was suspended, and links to her article became inaccessible on the platform.
When users attempted to share the article, X displayed technical error messages or blocked the links.
The article by Sweet challenged widespread online rumors and focused on debunking the conspiracy theory.
Sweet Denies Claims of Privacy Violations
X notified Sweet that her suspension was due to sharing “private information,” allegedly violating platform policies.
Sweet denied these claims, stating her article contained only publicly available information about Dittmann.
The Spectator supported Sweet, emphasizing the investigation did not include sensitive data like phone numbers or photos.
Matt McDonald, U.S. managing editor, highlighted the public interest in proving Dittmann was not secretly Elon Musk.
Musk Adds Fuel to Speculation
After Sweet’s post, Musk jokingly replied, “I am Adrian Dittmann. It’s time the world knew.”
This response reignited the controversy, drawing further attention to the story and subsequent account suspensions.
Sweet, along with a Swiss developer and journalist who assisted her, faced similar restrictions on their X accounts.
Links to articles and blog posts on the topic also became unsharable via X, raising concerns over content moderation.
Broader Implications for Content Control
The incident has sparked debates about content policies and free speech on platforms owned by high-profile individuals.
Sweet argues her suspension reflects an attempt to suppress criticism or challenges against X owner Musk.
Meanwhile, Dittmann himself reaffirmed on X that he is not Musk and denied involvement in any deception.
The story underscores challenges platforms face balancing free speech, misinformation, and privacy rules in heated online debates.
