Social media platform X paused a new account location feature days after its rollout revealed numerous accounts operating from countries outside where they claimed to be based, according to reports and user observations.
X rolled out the “About this account” feature on November 21-22, displaying users’ country of origin, username change history, and account creation details. X head of product Nikita Bier announced the feature in October, saying it aimed to help users identify inauthentic accounts and combat misinformation on the platform.
However, the company paused the feature within days of launch — without providing an official reason.
Over the short time it was running, the feature exposed accounts across multiple categories. It showed several MAGA-associated accounts with thousands of followers operated from countries including Thailand, India, Morocco, and various European nations, according to UPI reports.
Account “Dark Maga,” with more than 15,000 followers, operated from Thailand and India, while “MAGA Nadine” operated from Morocco.
Some accounts shut down immediately after the feature exposed their locations.
The feature allowed users to view account information by clicking the “Joined” date on profiles. Users could choose to display either their specific country or a general region, though users could not hide the information once they enabled it.
Code analysts found evidence that X was preparing to flag accounts using VPNs to mask their location with a warning that “country or region may not be accurate.” X later exempted government accounts from displaying location information.
X launched the feature following its deletion of 1.7 million bot accounts it claimed were dominating conversations on the platform. Bier described the tool as part of efforts to verify content authenticity, saying users should be able to determine if they’re interacting with authentic accounts or bad actors spreading misinformation. He later said that “there are a few rough edges that will be resolved by Tuesday.”
Similar transparency features exist on other platforms, including Facebook’s Page transparency and Instagram’s “About this account” feature.
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