Elon Musk’s social‑media platform X has rolled out a new feature that displays the country or region where an account is based, sparking controversy and exposing alleged “troll farms” and influence operations. Launched by X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, the tool is intended to boost transparency on the platform. Its introduction has triggered a wave of online sleuthing, with users flagging dozens of right‑wing internet personalities whose location data shows they operate from places such as Nigeria, Bangladesh, or Eastern Europe. Some influential pro‑Trump accounts that present themselves as U.S.–based have been found to be overseas, spreading false claims and allegations of Democratic corruption.
Researchers have long warned about the presence of fake accounts on social media, and the new feature appears to vindicate those concerns. Benjamin Strick, director of investigations at the Centre for Information Resilience, noted that it has helped identify “Trump‑supporting independent women” who are actually operating from Southeast Asia. At the same time, the feature raises worries about exposing dissidents and protesters in autocratic states. Bier has assured that privacy toggles limit the information shown to only the region for users in countries where speech carries penalties.
The launch also highlights the broader challenges of combating disinformation on social platforms. As tech companies scale back content moderation and rely more on artificial intelligence, researchers warn that foreign actors seeking to sow political chaos in Western nations pose a growing threat. While the new tool is seen as a step toward greater transparency, its effectiveness in curbing disinformation remains uncertain. Amy Bruckman, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said 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 rollout comes as X has laid off half of its engineering team responsible for fighting influence operations, spam, and illegal content, reflecting a shift toward replacing staff with AI. The company has not responded to requests for comment on the move.
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