Japan’s finance ministry has requested that X, formerly known as Twitter, remove an account impersonating the country’s top currency diplomat, Masato Kanda.
Japan’s Finance Ministry
“Please don’t follow the impersonation account and/or comment on the post,” the ministry said in a rare English-language post on the social media platform. Mr Kanda is a key figure in the world’s third largest economy’s efforts to stabilize the yen’s value.
The phony account appears to have been deactivated. Elon Musk’s company, X, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr Kanda wields considerable power among Japan’s monetary policymakers. His public remarks have the potential to influence the yen’s value relative to other major currencies.
According to source, the account, which had around 550 followers, had not made any comments on the yen or financial markets.
The account had five posts, the most recent of which appeared to impersonate Mr Kanda’s trip to Ukraine earlier this week, according to the agency.
“A Twitter impersonation account (Masato Kanda @Jgghkj_) posing as Vice Minister Kanda Masato of the Ministry of Finance of Japan was confirmed,” the ministry said in a post on X on Thursday.
The ministry also stated that it is “currently requesting that X (formerly Twitter) suspends the impersonation account.” The account was suspended for violating “Twitter Rules” on Friday, according to a notice on X.
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