X has started introducing a new tool that appears to show that numerous right-wing “America First” profiles are actually operated from outside the U.S. However, the accuracy of this information is questionable.
The recently added “About This Account” section on X provides details such as the date a user registered and how they accessed the platform, but it’s the location data that has sparked the most discussion.
Sharing screenshots of MAGA accounts that supposedly originate from countries like Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Thailand, left-leaning influencer Micah Erfan commented, “This spells disaster for the online right.”
A number of these accounts, such as the one named @American which is said to be based in Pakistan, have modest followings, though some boast hundreds of thousands of followers.
Nikita Bier, X’s product director, announced on Saturday that the feature is being made available worldwide, calling it “a crucial initial move to protect the integrity of the global town square.” Still, several users have reported that their displayed locations are highly inaccurate. Bier admitted that “the data was not 100% for old accounts” and mentioned that “some minor issues … should be fixed by Tuesday.”
According to The Verge, although there are certainly troll farms and accounts designed to provoke outrage operating from outside the U.S., many of the locations shown are likely incorrect, possibly due to factors like international travel, distributed teams, VPN usage, or outdated IP information.
