## Topline
A new update to X that shows the country or region where a user is based has revealed some popular accounts-many of which post wildly partisan support for President Donald Trump-aren’t even United States-based, though some claim to be American.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
## Key Facts
* X rolled out a new update over the weekend that displays a user’s location by clicking on the join date on their profile, adn users can elect to have their location displayed either as a country or as a region.
* Right-wing poster Ian Miles Cheong, who has previously admitted to his 1.2 million followers that he is not U.S.-based, is based in the United Arab Emirates, according to his X profile, and he has since [slammed](https://x.com/ianmiles/status/1992574015655772429) the update as a privacy violation.
* Pro-Trump account with 1 million followers @IvankaNews_-which is not affiliated with Ivanka Trump-appears to be based out of Nigeria, even though the user comments almost exclusively on American politics and has [claimed](https://x.com/IvankaNews_/status/1931511391921618979) to have voted for Trump in previous posts (and the user admitted in a post Sunday “some of us living outside the USA genuinely support President Trump’s movement”).
* An account called “MAGA NATION” with nearly 400,000 followers appears to be Eastern European, according to its X profile, though the account is dedicated to pro-Trump content and [claimed](https://x.com/MAGANationX/status/1983996233224999045) to have voted for Republicans.* An account called “America first,” (67,000 followers) who [claimed](https://x.com/AmericaFirst8/status/1984004469997998361) to have voted for Trump, appears to be based in the Philippines.
X Adds Location Information to User Profiles, Aiming for transparency and Branding
Table of Contents
X (formerly Twitter) has begun displaying location information on user profiles as part of an effort to increase transparency and align with Elon Musk’s vision for the platform. The feature, announced and detailed by X Engineering Lead nikita Bier [https://x.com/nikitabier/status/1992335928006979873],indicates the country or region an account is based in.
Feature Rollout and Initial Issues
The rollout of the location feature hasn’t been without challenges. Bier acknowledged [https://x.com/nikitabier/status/1992338079286444139] that the update was temporarily disabled over the weekend due to inaccuracies in data for older accounts. The issue stemmed from incomplete data, and Bier stated it was resolved by Tuesday.
X includes disclaimers to account for potential inaccuracies. The platform notes that location data can be affected by recent travel or temporary relocation and “may not be accurate and can change periodically.”
VPN and Proxy Considerations
X also displays a disclaimer for accounts that appear to be using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The disclaimer explains that a partner has indicated the account may be connecting through a proxy,which can mask the user’s IP address and alter the displayed location. it further clarifies that some internet service providers automatically use proxies without user intervention. The disclaimer emphasizes that the displayed data may not be accurate in these cases. [https://x.com/X/status/1730309839929110846?lang=en]
Goals and Implications
The addition of location data is part of a broader push for increased transparency on X under Elon Musk’s ownership. While the specific long-term goals remain to be fully articulated,the feature could potentially be used for various purposes,including combating bots and misinformation,improving content recommendations,and enhancing advertising targeting. Though, it also raises privacy concerns, which X attempts to address through its disclaimers and explanations.