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X’s Drive for Openness Reveals Overseas Interference, Ignites Discussion on Privacy

X’s Drive for Openness Reveals Overseas Interference, Ignites Discussion on Privacy

Bitget-RWA2025/11/25 21:30
By:Bitget-RWA

- X's new transparency feature exposing overseas locations of pro-Trump accounts sparked backlash, revealing accounts from Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Eastern Europe. - High-profile accounts like "@BarronTNews_" and "MAGA NATION" flagged as foreign raised concerns about foreign influence in U.S. politics and disinformation campaigns. - Privacy critics called the update an "invasion of privacy," while X's product head acknowledged accuracy issues and plans to address proxy/VNP loopholes. - Political reactions

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has sparked intense debate after introducing a new transparency tool that discloses the overseas origins of several well-known MAGA-supporting accounts. Launched over the weekend, this feature lets users see the country or region an account is registered in by clicking on the profile’s "Joined" date. Initially intended to fight bot activity, the update quickly became a political flashpoint when users realized that many influential pro-Trump accounts were actually operated from places such as Nigeria, Bangladesh, and parts of Eastern Europe

.

This update,

as an effort to "protect the integrity of the global town square," uncovered a web of accounts posing as American patriots but linked to regions with no clear connection to U.S. politics. For instance, the account "@BarronTNews_," which claims to support Donald Trump’s son and boasts over 580,000 followers, is shown as being based in "Eastern Europe (Non-EU)" . Similarly, "MAGA NATION," a pro-Trump account with almost 400,000 followers, is also traced to Eastern Europe , while "America First" is identified as operating out of Bangladesh .

X’s Drive for Openness Reveals Overseas Interference, Ignites Discussion on Privacy image 0
These findings have heightened concerns about foreign interference in American politics. found accounts spreading divisive narratives—such as claims that Democrats bribed debate moderators—while pretending to be U.S. conservatives. Online investigators fueled the debate further by sharing screenshots of accounts like "ULTRAMAGA 🇺🇸 TRUMP🇺🇸2028," which claimed to be in Washington, D.C., but was listed as African . Some profiles, including one parodying the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and marked as being in Israel, were later exposed as misinformation , yet the incident still eroded public trust.

The new feature has also faced backlash over privacy issues. Ian Miles Cheong, a right-wing commentator with 1.2 million followers who is based in the United Arab Emirates,

. However, the platform gives users in restrictive countries the option to show only their region instead of a specific nation . Bier admitted there were "some rough edges" with the launch, , though critics point out that VPNs can still mask real locations .

Political responses have been immediate. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

that its X account was based in Israel, stating that the screenshots being circulated are "easy to forge." Meanwhile, Democrats welcomed the revelations, "proof that warnings about foreign psyops were justified." Musk, who has consistently promoted X as a platform for free expression, has not yet addressed the controversy directly.

This episode highlights the broader challenges social media companies face in the age of AI. While X’s goal is to limit misinformation, the new tool also reveals the complexities of a global "town square" where identities are increasingly ambiguous. As Bier mentioned, this is only the beginning;

for accounts using VPNs or proxies. For now, the debate underscores the ongoing tension between openness and privacy in the digital world.

0

Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

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