X’s New Location Feature Exposes Misleading High-Engagement Accounts

Dozens of high-engagement accounts on X are facing scrutiny after the platform introduced a transparency feature that reveals user locations. The rollout has exposed several widely followed accounts posting about US politics while operating from outside the country. Both pro-Trump and anti-Trump accounts were affected, raising concerns about how location misrepresentation shapes political conversations online. Many of these posts have gained millions of impressions, likes and reposts, which can generate payments from X based on engagement levels.

How Accurate Is X’s New Location Tool?

The location information appears in the “about this account” tab on every profile. X includes a disclaimer that the feature can be influenced by recent travel, temporary relocations or VPN use. Even with these limitations, the platform’s head of product, Nikita Bier, stated that the data is “99 per cent accurate.”

The feature drew widespread attention on Saturday, November 22, 2025, when Donald Trump shared a screenshot from an X account named “TRUMP_ARMY_”. The post celebrated a Supreme Court ruling it claimed would allow the president to deport criminals to El Salvador. That account has gained more than half a million followers, including a senior Republican senator. However, X’s data revealed that the account operates from India, and the username has changed four times since March 2022. The profile has since been updated to state it is run by “an Indian who loves America, President Trump, Musk!”

Another high-profile account, “IvankaNews_”, described itself as a fan page for Trump’s daughter and has gathered more than one million followers. It previously posted about voting for the president last year. X’s new feature shows that the account is based in Nigeria and that its username has changed 11 times since 2010. After its location became public, the user responded by posting that “some of us living outside the USA genuinely support President Trump’s movement.” X appears to have suspended the account, although the platform has not clarified the reason.

Which Other Accounts Were Affected by the Feature?

The transparency tool has also caught accounts posting anti-Trump content. BBC Verify identified a profile with 52,000 followers that claimed to be a “proud Democrat” and “professional MAGA hunter.” Shortly after its location was shown to be Kenya, the user deleted the profile.

The rollout of the “about this account” feature has sparked new conversations about authenticity, online influence and the role of anonymous or misleading accounts in shaping political narratives. While X’s accuracy claims remain unverified by outside parties, the exposure of high-engagement accounts has already shifted how users interpret political content on the platform.

By Yockshard Enyendi