US EditionX’s New Location Labels Unmask Users. Insiders Say the Idea Was Rejected for Years.
X introduced country labels to boost transparency and combat inauthentic behavior, though experts warn about data inaccuracies and risks of spoofing via VPNs, with concerns voiced by security researchers.
- Last week, X rolled out country-location labels on user profiles, calling it a step to secure the global town square, while Nikita Bier said Saturday that rough edges will be fixed by Tuesday and incorrect data updated on a delayed schedule to preserve privacy.
- The idea dates back to at least 2018, when X repeatedly shelved country-labels amid 2016 U.S. election manipulation concerns, while Elon Musk's 2022 takeover cut trust-and-safety teams.
- Technically, X uses mixed signals—ISPs, MaxMind, device data, and inferred logins—but one former employee said these can be manipulated easily by VPNs and proxies, and disclaimers acknowledge inaccuracies.
- The rollout immediately exposed accounts posing as Americans but based in countries like India, and accuracy problems emerged by Monday with three NBC News journalists mislabeled, persisting into Tuesday.
- Privacy advocates cautioned that X may not fully grasp risks and criticized its unilateral rollout, while former specialists warn the labels could harm persecuted dissidents and be exploited quickly.
4 Articles
4 Articles
X reveals where some users are based. It might backfire.
Advocates for transparency on social media cheered this weekend when X, the app owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, rolled out a new feature that disclosed what the company said were the country locations of accounts. The feature appeared to unmask a number of accounts that were portraying themselves as belonging to Americans but in reality were based in countries such as India, Thailand and Bangladesh. But by Monday, the effectiveness and accu…
The Geography of Outrage: X’s New Location Labels Expose the Foreign Machinery Behind American Political Division
When Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, he pledged to defeat the "spam bots" or die trying. Three years later, the platform now known as X has deployed a quiet but devastating weapon in the war on inauthentic behavior: mandatory location labeling for high-engagement accounts. The rollout, which began appearing on user profiles earlier this week, has resulted in an immediate and chaotic recasting of the American political conversation. As users …
Vitalik Buterin Warns X’s New Country Tag Could Put Users at Risk
Key highlights: Crypto leaders fear X’s country tags could expose users to real-world risks. Vitalik Buterin reverses stance after warning of dangerous data leaks. Heated debate erupts as X unveils location reveal without user consent. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin criticized the social network X’s new feature that reveals the country of origin of user accounts. The developer called the innovation “risky” and agreed with crypto community…
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