X’s new location tool reveals several foreign-run US political accounts
They are known as @TRUMP_ARMY or @MAGANationX, with their verified accounts showcasing images of President Donald Trump, voter rallies, and American flags. They consistently share updates on US politics with their followers, expressing sentiments akin to devoted supporters of the president. However, following a weekend update to the social media platform X, it has become evident that the owners of these accounts, along with many others, are situated in areas including South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. On Saturday, Elon Musk’s X introduced a new feature that allows users to view the location of an account. Online sleuths and experts swiftly discovered that numerous prominent accounts, frequently associated with the MAGA movement and boasting thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers, are situated outside the United States, prompting worries regarding foreign influence on US politics. Researchers have identified several popular accounts that are claimed to be run by Americans interested in politics, but are actually based in Eastern Europe, Asia, or Africa. The accounts were prominent sources of misleading and polarizing claims regarding US politics, including assertions that Democrats bribed the moderators of a 2024 presidential debate.
Nikita Bier announced Saturday that the social media platform is introducing a “About This Account” tool, allowing users to view the country or region where an account is located. To determine an account’s location, simply tap or click the signup date shown on the profile. “This is an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square. We plan to provide many more ways for users to verify the authenticity of the content they see on X,” Bier wrote. In nations where speech is heavily regulated, a privacy feature on X enables users to display their region instead of revealing their exact country. Thus, rather than specifying India, an account might state that it is located in South Asia. Bier stated on Sunday that following an update to the tool, it would achieve 99.99 percent accuracy, although this claim could not be independently verified. Accounts, for instance, can utilize a virtual private network, or VPN, to conceal their actual location. In certain instances, a notification appears indicating that the location data might be unreliable, either due to the account utilizing a VPN or because some internet service providers automatically employ proxies, without any user intervention.
Several accounts backed the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, along with the children of Trump. Numerous accounts featured US flags or included remarks implying their American identity. An account known as “@BarronTNews_” is identified as being based in “Eastern Europe (Non-EU),” despite its profile indicating “Mar A Lago” as the display location. With over 580,000 followers, the account stated on Tuesday, “This is a FAN account, 100 % independent, run by one guy who loves this country and supports President Trump with everything I’ve got.” NewsGuard also discovered that certain X users are disseminating misinformation regarding the location feature, mistakenly alleging that some accounts are managed from overseas when, in fact, they are utilized by Americans. Investigators uncovered multiple instances in which a user fabricated screenshots that seemingly indicate an account was established abroad.
The motives of the accounts are not always clear. While some may be state actors, it is probable that many are driven by financial incentives, sharing commentary, memes, and videos to attract engagement. Opinions among users were split regarding the newly introduced feature that allows access to an account’s location information, with certain individuals expressing concerns about its potential overreach. “Isn’t this kind of an invasion of privacy?” one X user wrote. “No one needs to see this info.”
