Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has introduced a new feature that reveals the location of its users, sparking controversy and exposing alleged “troll farms” and influence operations. The feature, launched by X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, allows users to see the country or region where an account is based, aiming to boost transparency on the platform.
The rollout has triggered a wave of online sleuthing, with users flagging dozens of right-wing internet personalities whose location data shows they are operating from countries such as Nigeria, Bangladesh, or Eastern Europe. Some influential pro-Trump accounts, which present themselves as US-based, have been found to be operating overseas, circulating false claims and allegations of Democratic corruption.
Researchers have long warned about the presence of fake accounts on social media platforms, and the new feature has vindicated their concerns. Benjamin Strick, director of investigations at the Centre for Information Resilience, noted that the feature has helped identify the location of fake accounts posing as “Trump-supporting independent women” and operating from Southeast Asia.
However, the feature has also raised concerns about the potential exposure of dissidents and protesters in autocratic states. Bier has assured that the feature includes privacy toggles that reveal only the region for users in countries “where speech has penalties.”
The launch has also highlighted the challenges of combating disinformation on social media platforms. As tech companies scale back content moderation and rely more on artificial intelligence, disinformation researchers warn of a growing threat from foreign actors seeking to sow political chaos in Western countries.
The new feature has been seen as a step towards increasing transparency on the platform, but it also raises questions about the effectiveness of such measures in combating disinformation. Amy Bruckman, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, noted that the feature “shines a light on a fundamental problem with social media today: paid actors are deliberately inflaming difficult issues because controversy attracts attention.”
The introduction of the feature comes as X has laid off half of its engineering team responsible for fighting influence operations, spam, and illegal content on the platform. The company has not responded to requests for comment on the move, which reflects a push to replace staff with artificial intelligence.