X’s newly introduced “About This Account” feature is off to a chaotic start. The tool, which was designed to bring greater transparency to user accounts, has instead triggered a wave of controversy after appearing to reveal that several prominent right-wing “America First” accounts are managed from outside the United States. But early findings suggest the location data may be far from accurate.
The feature, which is rolling out globally, displays account information such as the date a user joined X, how they access the platform, and — most notably — a “last active location.” It is this location field that has captured the internet’s attention.
Questionable Locations Spark Viral Debate
Over the weekend, screenshots circulated showing several MAGA-aligned or conservative influencer accounts listed as being active from countries like Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Thailand. These revelations prompted immediate speculation about the authenticity of such accounts and whether they were part of coordinated influence networks or international troll farms.
Left-wing creator Micah Erfan fueled the conversation by posting a gallery of affected accounts with the caption:
“This is total armageddon for the online right.”
While many of the flagged accounts are relatively small, others have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers — enough to deepen suspicions about foreign influence in U.S. political discourse.
One widely highlighted example is the account @American, listed as operating from Pakistan despite branding itself as an archetypal “America First” voice.
X Responds: “Data Not 100% for Old Accounts”
Nikita Bier, X’s Director of Product, acknowledged the inaccuracies and urged users not to jump to conclusions. According to Bier, the feature is still being tuned, and older accounts may have incorrect or outdated information, with fixes expected soon.
Bier described the rollout as “an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square” but admitted there were “a few rough edges” that would be resolved by Tuesday.
The company has not clarified exactly how location data is derived, though possibilities include historical IP addresses, locations tied to app downloads, device metadata, or signals from multi-person account teams spread across different time zones.
VPNs, Shared Accounts, and Global Teams Likely Behind Errors
As highlighted by The Verge, while it’s true that foreign-based rage-bait accounts and political troll networks exist, many of the newly surfaced locations seem implausible. Some long-established U.S. creators were listed as being active in entirely different countries, prompting pushback.
Several factors could be responsible:
- VPN usage, which can mask actual locations
- Old IP records from previous devices or past travel
- Social media managers or multi-location team members accessing shared accounts
- Glitches in how historical data is aggregated
For now, the reliability of the feature remains unclear. What was intended as a transparency tool is instead raising questions about X’s data accuracy, account authenticity, and how platforms communicate context around political content.
A Tool With High Stakes in an Election Year
With global elections on the horizon — including a high-stakes U.S. presidential election — transparency around political accounts has become increasingly important. Features like “About This Account” could play a major role in identifying coordinated influence efforts, but only if the underlying data is accurate.
As the rollout continues and corrections are made, X will need to prove that it can deliver a trust-enhancing transparency tool without fueling misinformation or misinterpretation.
For now, the platform’s attempt at clarity has created a new wave of confusion — and a fresh battleground in the ongoing debate over online political influence.
