Elon Musk’s X platform erupted in controversy after launching a feature that shows where accounts are based. Users quickly uncovered potential troll farms and overseas influence operations, particularly linked to pro-Trump content.
X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, unveiled a tool over the weekend allowing users to view the country or region of an account. The move aims to boost transparency on a platform experts say is rife with misinformation.
“This is an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square,” Bier wrote on X.
Almost immediately, the feature sparked a wave of online investigation. Users flagged multiple right-wing accounts that appeared US-based but were operating from countries like Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Eastern Europe.
Pro-Trump accounts exposed
Analysis by NewsGuard revealed that influential pro-Trump accounts, which spread MAGA or “America First” messages, were actually overseas-based. These accounts have circulated at least 31 false claims in the past 15 months, including accusations of Democratic corruption.
Benjamin Strick, director of investigations at the Centre for Information Resilience, confirmed that several accounts posing as Trump-supporting women were actually located in Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Myanmar. “Before this change, we had almost no visibility on where these accounts were run from,” Strick said.
Feature faces criticism and privacy concerns
Some users expressed concerns that the feature could expose dissidents or protestors in countries with restrictive speech laws. Bier stated that privacy toggles are in place for regions where revealing precise locations could be dangerous.
Users were also warned that the location data may not be fully accurate, as travel, VPNs, or temporary relocation can impact results. Bier promised an upgrade that will ensure “accuracy will be nearly 99.99%.”
Imposter accounts removed
The launch immediately led to the removal of some high-profile imposter accounts. One Ivanka Trump fan account with one million followers, operating from Nigeria and posting pro-Trump and anti-immigration content, was suspended shortly after users flagged it.
Experts warn that the feature exposes a deeper problem: paid actors inflaming political divisions for profit and influence. Amy Bruckman, professor at Georgia Tech, noted, “It shines a light on a fundamental problem with social media today: paid actors are deliberately inflaming difficult issues because controversy attracts attention.”
The rollout comes after X laid off half its engineering team responsible for combating influence operations, relying more heavily on AI solutions. Researchers caution that this could increase risks from overseas actors, including Russian and Chinese campaigns, as well as monetized misinformation networks.
As the platform moves forward, the new location feature represents both a transparency win and a complex challenge for moderating global influence operations.
