Summary
A new feature on the social media platform X, designed to show the location of users, revealed that several high-profile political accounts post misleading location information. While X claims the data is mostly accurate, factors like travel and VPN use can alter location details. Some political accounts both supporting and opposing President Trump were found to be based outside the U.S.
Key Facts
- X introduced a feature that shows user locations on their profiles.
- Some political accounts supporting and opposing President Trump were found to be based outside the U.S.
- The location information might not be fully reliable due to travel or the use of VPNs.
- X claims the location data is 99% accurate, according to its head of product, Nikita Bier.
- An account called "TRUMP_ARMY_" was found to be based in India, despite having over half a million followers and supporting U.S. politics.
- Another account, "IvankaNews_", with over a million followers, was based in Nigeria.
- X's "about this account" tab includes a warning about inaccuracies in location data.
- Some misleading accounts hold paid blue tick badges, allowing potential earnings based on user engagement.
