Elon Musk Under Pressure to Address Fake Satoshi Profile

Members of the cryptocurrency community are pressuring Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X. They are demanding the removal of an account impersonating the Bitcoin creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Additionally, user Pledditor raised concerns about both the ‘Nakamoto’ profile and another account using the handle “Bitcoin.” These profiles, according to Pledditor, violate X’s terms of service. Misleading and deceptive identities, as stipulated by the platform, are not permissible.

The policy highlights that users are prohibited from misappropriating identities unless they’re parody accounts. Moreover, it warns against creating fake profiles of known individuals or organizations. Pledditor, in a well-articulated argument, equated it to forming counterfeit accounts for entities like ‘Tesla’ or ‘Elon Musk’. Andy Rowe, however, has reportedly been managing the ‘Nakamoto’ profile since 2018. Despite its silence since October 2018, the account re-emerged with a post on October 2, 2023. It mentioned its intent to delve into the Bitcoin white paper’s facets.

Musk Urged to Act on Misleading Profiles

The crypto community swiftly rallied behind Pledditor’s stance. Many labeled the account as embarrassing and urged for immediate action. Several members even shared past instances where they flagged such misleading profiles but received no response from X’s administrators. 

Another suggestion was to take a stance similar to the handling of the “@internet” handle. Meanwhile, the Bitcoin creator’s true identity remains concealed. Over the years, various individuals have claimed the title of Satoshi Nakamoto. Craig Wright, for instance, recently won an appeal in the UK, where he proclaimed copyright to the Bitcoin white paper.

Elon Musk Calls Out Biased Reporting

This incident follows closely on the heels of Elon Musk’s recent criticisms of mainstream media. He voiced his grievances about the CBS News program, “60 Minutes.” They had covered Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX Exchange. Elon Musk’s remarks were notably severe. He emphasized the show’s sensationalistic and biased reporting on the matter.

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