PROLIFIC social media user Julian Assange has deleted his Twitter account on Christmas Day.
The Wikileaks boss' account, @JulianAssange, went dark between 12-1am (5pm AEDT) on Christmas morning in the northern hemisphere.
Then at 1.5am (AEDT), he popped up again with a tweet showing a cartoon of Santa making a Wikileaks "good or bad" list.
Assange then pointed to an official tweet from the US Navy that read simple "Julian Assange".
US Navy tweet's Julian Assange's name
Wikileaks reposted the Navy tweet, saying, "Despite some oddities from the US Navy and Twitter today and increased physical surveillance @JulianAssange's physical situation at the embassy remains unaltered - confined without charge in violation of two UN rulings requiring the UK to set him free."
Here a screenshot of the deleted @USNavy Christmas tweet about @JulianAssange. Note the use of quotation marks.https://t.co/Asfw6cH6C7 pic.twitter.com/7Gg6mVOoCx
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 25, 2017
Julian Assange points to US Navy tweet after account deleted
Previously, Assange's most recent tweet was posted on the 22nd December, and made no mention of a possible leave from Twitter.
The post was a quote from Assange himself, which read: "A knowledgeable public, is an empowered public, is a free public."
Despite some oddities from the US Navy and Twitter today and increased physical surveillance @JulianAssange's physical situation at the embassy remains unaltered--confined without charge in violation of two UN rulings requiring the UK to set him free.https://t.co/ne7cQ2Uryw
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 25, 2017
Assange has long used the social media site as a means to communicate Wikileaks' messaging as well as his own while he takes political asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
Of course, Twitter users were quick to question whether the account had been deleted or removed.
One wrote: "It appears Julian Assange's wasn't suspended by Twitter but was hacked and deleted.
— Julian Assange 🔹 (@JulianAssange) December 25, 2017
"Who has the resources to hack him?
"Did they raid him? Is he alive?"
"Those with secrets want him alive, if he dies the real dirt is released."
Another added: "In less than 24 hours the internet is about go absolutely insane if Julian Assange doesn't show proof of life."
Others, however, were more buoyant following Assange's online disappearance.
"It's a Christmas miracle!" one user wrote.
A"This wasn't on my Christmas list, but I'll take it," said another.
So far there has been no word from Mr Assange following the mysterious deletion, or from the official Wikileaks account.
Despite Assange's prolific tweeting, and copycats using his picture, Twitter refused to grant the Australian the blue check-mark it uses on "verified" accounts.