In an aggressive move to combat the spread of misinformation on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), the company has rolled out a new transparency tool. Called ‘About this account,’ the feature will now display the country of origin, or a broader region, for all user profiles, alongside other key metadata. This feature, announced amidst growing concerns over bots, AI-generated content, and foreign influence campaigns, aims to make users verify the authenticity of accounts before engaging.
At its core, the “About this account” panel provides a quick snapshot of an account’s history and origins. Users can access it by simply tapping the “Joined” date on any profile, whether on the web version or mobile apps. Once opened, the panel unveils a trove of details, like the account’s original creation date, its base location (displayed as a specific country or user-selected region), a log of username changes over time, and even the source of the app download, such as Apple’s App Store or Google Play.
This metadata is designed to flag suspicious patterns, like accounts created on a mass scale from a single country during high-stakes news cycles or those with frequent name tweaks to evade detection.
X goes on an anti-fake news spree
The update comes at a time when X has faced scrutiny for its handling of election-related disinformation and deepfake videos in recent global events. With over 500 million active users worldwide, the platform has been under pressure from regulators and advocacy groups to enhance accountability.
The feature builds on X’s earlier efforts, like Community Notes, but with a sharper focus on user identity verification.
Privacy remains the prime concern, as X hints. X has incorporated user controls to mitigate concerns over doxxing or overexposure. Under the “Privacy and Safety” settings menu, individuals can opt to show granular details like their exact country or anonymise it to a larger geographic area, such as “Europe” or “North America.”
X is still testing the feature
The feature is currently in its beta phase, allowing users to preview and verify their own information before it goes fully public. Early testers, including X’s head of product Nikita Bier, have already showcased it on their profiles. In a thread responding to user demands for better tools against misinformation, he pledged delivery within 72 hours and emphasised its role in helping people “spot legitimate voices from those trying to game the system.” Bier’s demo revealed his own account’s US-based origin, join date from 2012, and minimal username history—details that paint a picture of long-term, organic use.
X isn’t the only social media platform that’s taking a step to improve privacy. Instagram, owned by Meta, has long offered similar insights, including country flags and name-change histories, which have helped curb spam by 15% according to internal reports. TikTok and Facebook followed suit last year with enhanced profile audits.
