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3w ago

X’s New Location Labels Expose Foreign-Run Accounts, Raise Accuracy and Safety Concerns

Early use by journalists has fueled investigations into inauthentic networks.

Transparency reduces the scope for sensationalism on X and thus imperils user engagement, a metric Musk cares deeply about. So, perhaps, in a few weeks the algorithms at X will magically boost complaints about “user privacy”. (AFPafp)
TOPSHOT - US actors Amber Heard (L) and Johnny Depp watch as the jury leaves the courtroom at the end of the day at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, May 16, 2022. - US actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." (Photo by Steve Helber / POOL / AFP) (Photo by STEVE HELBER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Featured image by Deepakshi Sharma | ThePrint
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Overview

  • X’s visible account-location panel has gone live, revealing numerous accounts operating from countries different from the identities they present.
  • Findings highlighted include pro-MAGA personas traced to Morocco, Bangladesh and Eastern Europe, Scottish independence backers accessing from Iran, and older pro-Depp accounts now shown as based in Saudi Arabia.
  • The system’s accuracy is uneven, with factors like recent travel and VPNs producing errors, including a high-profile case mislabeling Gaza journalist Motasem A Dalloul as based in Poland.
  • X is testing adjustments such as VPN-use flags and region-level displays, offering some context for users while creating new avenues for evasion.
  • Commentators warn the feature could be diluted or rolled back, and an Indian op-ed urges legal requirements for geographic disclosure and a rapid-response unit to expose foreign IP activity.