X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has unveiled a new transparency feature that’s already exposing something unexpected: many popular pro-Trump accounts claiming to be American are actually based overseas.
The platform’s new “About This Account” tool, rolled out this week, allows users to view the country or region where an account is based by simply clicking on the signup date on a profile. The feature is designed to combat misinformation and foreign influence campaigns — but its initial revelations have raised eyebrows across the political spectrum.
Foreign operators behind American-looking accounts
Several high-profile accounts that appear to champion former President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement have been revealed to operate from regions like South Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa — not the United States as their content suggests.
One striking example is an account called “@BarronTNews_” which boasts more than 580,000 followers and claims in its profile to be based at “Mar A Lago.” The account’s location data, however, shows it’s actually operated from “Eastern Europe (Non-EU).” The account recently posted that “This is a FAN account, 100% independent, run by one guy who loves this country and supports President Trump with everything I’ve got.”
What’s driving these foreign-based accounts to pose as American political enthusiasts?
“For the most visible accounts unmasked this week, money is probably the main motivator,” said Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust, and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech. “Location data will always be something to use with caution.”
While some accounts may have connections to state actors, many appear motivated primarily by financial gain — posting viral political content that drives engagement, clicks, and ultimately revenue.
How the feature works
Users can view an account’s location by clicking on the “joined” date displayed on public profiles. The system infers location based on aggregated IP addresses, and users have the option to display either their specific country or a broader geographical region — a choice particularly useful in countries with restrictive speech laws.
“This is an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square,” said Nikita Bier, X’s head of product. “We plan to provide many more ways for users to verify the authenticity of the content they see on X.”
The new transparency tool also displays additional profile data such as how many times a username has been changed and whether the account connects via web or app — similar to transparency features already available on Facebook and Instagram.
Not without flaws
The location feature isn’t perfect. Bier has acknowledged that while the system’s accuracy is around 99.99% after recent updates, VPNs and proxies can still mask true locations. X is also developing a warning system that would alert users when an account is using a VPN to hide its location.
There are other limitations, too. X has chosen not to display location data for certain government accounts, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, citing security concerns. “X will not display the location on any ‘gray check’ government accounts, in order to prevent acts of terrorism against government leaders,” Bier explained.
The platform has also admitted to using an older database system for location tracking, which has resulted in some inaccuracies. They’re working to fix these issues, but users are advised to consider the information with a grain of salt.
Still, researchers tracking online misinformation see value in the feature. NewsGuard, a firm that monitors online misinformation, has already identified several popular accounts purportedly run by Americans interested in politics that are instead based in Eastern Europe, Asia, or Africa.
“The new information is meant to reduce inauthentic engagement on the platform, where bots often pretend to be humans — a problem that could get even harder to police in the age of AI,” according to a recent analysis.
As X continues to refine this transparency feature, one thing is clear: in the digital town square, not everyone is who they claim to be — and sometimes, the most American-sounding voices in our political discourse are coming from thousands of miles away.
