New Account Feature

X's New Feature and Account Locations

X has recently initiated the deployment of a new functionality that has brought to light potential discrepancies regarding the geographic origins of numerous right-leaning "America First" accounts.

The feature, known as “About this account,” provides details such as account creation date and app download information.

Geographic Location Data Under Scrutiny

However, it is the geographic location data that has garnered the most significant attention.

Left-wing influencer Micah Erfan shared a collection of images showcasing MAGA accounts purportedly located in countries including Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Thailand.

Erfan characterized this discovery as a potentially devastating blow to the online right, stating, “This is total armageddon for the online right.”

Account Size and Location Discrepancies

While a number of the accounts flagged, such as @American which appears to be based in Pakistan, have relatively modest follower counts, others boast substantial audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

The accuracy of this location data is now being questioned.

X's Response and Data Reliability

Nikita Bier, X’s director of product, stated on Saturday that the rollout of this feature is occurring worldwide.

Bier described this as a crucial initial move towards bolstering the integrity of the platform’s “global town square.”

However, user feedback indicates that the listed locations are, in some instances, demonstrably incorrect.

Bier conceded that the data pertaining to older accounts was not entirely accurate.

He further indicated that any remaining issues, described as “a few rough edges,” would likely be addressed by Tuesday.

Potential Causes for Inaccurate Data

The Verge has pointed out that while malicious accounts and troll farms originating outside the U.S. do exist, many of the reported locations appear dubious.

Possible explanations for these inaccuracies include user travel, distributed global teams, the use of VPNs, or outdated IP address information.

These factors could contribute to misidentification of account locations.