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X has officially rolled out a new feature that reveals key metadata about user accounts (including their country of origin) in an effort to enhance transparency across the platform.

Getting into it: The newly introduced “About this account” feature provides users with access to revealing information such as the country where an account is based, the number and dates of username changes, the account’s original join date, and which app store was used to register it. While intended to help users verify authenticity and reduce the spread of disinformation, this feature has instead sparked widespread controversy by exposing mismatches between many accounts’ stated identities and their actual locations.

For example, accounts claiming to be based in Gaza or the US have turned out to be operating from places like Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Israel, and Asia. Many of these accounts had names and bios suggesting they were authentic voices from conflict zones or grassroots political movements, but their metadata tells a different story. One prominent account, Khalissee, which had built a large following by posting anti-Israel content, was revealed to be operating out of Pakistan. After the location details became public, the account faced widespread criticism and was ultimately deleted. Similarly, an account named American Voice, which had posed as a pro-MAGA US account, was found to be based in South Asia and was also removed following the backlash. Other accounts, like @1776General_, claimed to be US based patriots but were found to be operating out of Turkey.

It should be noted that some users have defended themselves by claiming travel, multiple account managers, or use of VPNs caused the discrepancies.