DOJO – A new location transparency feature on X has revealed that dozens of high-engagement political accounts may be misleading users about where they are based, sparking confusion and a wave of online sleuthing.
The “About This Account” tab now shows the country or region where an account is registered, but users quickly discovered that some accounts posting about U.S. politics are actually based overseas. Both pro-Trump and anti-Trump accounts were affected.
Surprising Account Locations
Some high-profile MAGA-branded accounts claiming to be U.S.-based were listed in countries including India, Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, Thailand, and Nigeria.
- TRUMP_ARMY_: This account, followed by a senior Republican senator, claimed to promote Trump news but was revealed to be based in India.
- IvankaNews_: Once a fan account for Trump’s daughter with over 1 million followers, it was traced to Nigeria and has since been suspended.
- MAGA NATION: Listed in a non-EU Eastern European country despite promoting “America First” content.
Similarly, some left-leaning accounts were shown to be outside the U.S., including one pro-Democrat account in Kenya and Scottish independence accounts reportedly based in Iran.
Monetisation and Transparency Concerns
Many affected accounts held X’s blue tick verification and were eligible for monetisation. With engagement metrics like likes, reposts, and impressions tied to payouts, some accounts may have misrepresented their locations to capitalize on U.S.-centric content.
Experts warn that financial incentives often drive this behavior:
“There is always some money to be made from fanning America’s culture wars on social media…organized state actors and political parties have been shown to leverage sockpuppet accounts over and over again,” said Alexios Mantzarlis, Cornell Tech.
Misinformation researchers also note that troll farms and nation-state actors can exploit social media location features, while ordinary users may do so for profit.
Accuracy, VPNs, and Backlash
X cautioned that location data might be affected by VPNs, travel, or temporary relocation. Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, said the feature is “99% accurate” after rolling out updates. Some users called the change forced doxxing, while others exploited it to reveal rivals’ overseas origins.
Business Insider tests confirmed that X now displays a warning stating:
“The country or region that an account is based can be impacted by recent travel or temporary relocation. This data may not be accurate and can change periodically.”
Despite the disclaimers, the feature has generated viral posts highlighting unexpected account locations and raised questions about platform transparency, monetisation, and the prevalence of inauthentic accounts.
