X’s head of product Nikita Bier launched the feature over the weekend, allowing users “to see the country or region where an account is based,” in a bid to boost transparency on a platform that tech experts say is rife with disinformation.
“This is an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square,” Bier wrote on X.
The launch triggered a wave of online sleuthing.
Almost immediately, the platform flooded with posts flagging dozens of right-wing internet personalities – promoters of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) or “America First” political slogans – whose location data showed they were in Nigeria, Bangladesh or eastern Europe.
Influential pro-Trump accounts that present themselves as US-based but actually operate overseas have circulated 31 false claims over the past 15 months – including allegations of Democratic corruption – according to a NewsGuard analysis using the location feature.
The feature also seemed to vindicate researchers who warned during last year’s US presidential election that a network of MAGA accounts – posing as “Trump-supporting independent women” and using stolen photos of European models and influencers – was operating overseas.
“X’s new account info showed many of these ‘American’ women were actually based in Thailand, with some tied to Myanmar,” said Benjamin Strick, the London-based director of investigations at the Centre for Information Resilience.
“Before this change we could show these profiles were fake, but we had almost no visibility on where they were run from, and often had to rely on ‘slip ups’ posted by the accounts, time posting patterns and irregularities in language.
“Now we can see that many of the accounts in this specific network are linked to Southeast Asia, which brings us closer to understanding who might be behind them.”
Reflecting a hyperpolarized political climate, some right-wing personalities also pointed fingers at left-wing users seemingly posting from suspicious locations.
X, however, cautioned that the location data “may not be accurate and can change periodically.”
When users clicked on an account’s location, a pop up noted: “The country or region that an account is based can be impacted by recent travel or temporary relocation.”
Some users may also be connected via a VPN that can mask their real location.
“There are a few rough edges that will be resolved by Tuesday,” Bier wrote after the feature’s launch. (AFP)
