Dozens of high-engagement accounts on X have been accused of misleading users following the rollout of a new transparency feature that displays user locations, exposing that numerous accounts posting extensively about US politics are actually based in countries including India, Nigeria, Kenya, and Iran rather than the United States as their content and personas suggest.
Users on the social network quickly identified examples of pro-Trump accounts that posted prolifically about American politics but turned out to be based outside the US according to the location data. There were also anti-Trump accounts with similarly misleading locations, suggesting the phenomenon spans the political spectrum rather than favouring one partisan perspective.
Posts from some of the exposed accounts have attracted millions of impressions, a metric encompassing views, likes, reposts, and replies, engagement that can result in substantial payments from X’s monetisation programme that compensates creators based on the attention their content generates.
X claims the location data displayed in the new feature is 99% accurate, according to the platform’s head of product, Nikita Bier, though the company acknowledges certain factors can affect accuracy.
The location data appears in a new “about this account” tab visible on every profile, providing transparency about where accounts access the platform. The tab also contains a warning that location data may be affected by recent travel, temporary relocation, and the use of virtual private networks that mask true locations by routing internet traffic through servers in different countries.
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump shared on Truth Social a screenshot of a post from an X account called “TRUMP_ARMY_” celebrating a Supreme Court ruling the account claimed would allow the president to deport criminals to El Salvador, amplifying content from an account that has gathered more than half a million followers including a senior Republican senator.
However, X’s location data revealed the account is based in India rather than the United States, and that the username has changed four times since March 2022, the most recent change occurring in July 2022. Such frequent username changes often indicate accounts attempting to build followings under different personas or evade scrutiny of their posting history.
The account profile has since been updated to state “an Indian who loves America, President Trump, Musk!” acknowledging the foreign location after being exposed but continuing to post US political content.
Another account called “IvankaNews_”, which describes itself as a fan account for Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, has accumulated more than one million followers and has previously posted about voting for the president during the 2024 election, suggesting American residency and voting eligibility.
However, X’s location data indicates the account is based in Nigeria, and records show its username has changed 11 times since 2010, an extraordinarily high number of rebrands that suggests the account has shifted personas and focus repeatedly over its 15-year history.
After its foreign location was revealed by the new transparency feature, the account posted that “some of us living outside the USA genuinely support President Trump’s movement,” attempting to explain its US politics focus whilst acknowledging its Nigerian location.
X now appears to have suspended “IvankaNews_”, though the specific reason for suspension remains unclear and could relate to the misleading location, username manipulation, or other platform violations unrelated to the location disclosure.
BBC Verify has also identified examples of accounts sharing anti-Trump content that are actually based outside the US according to X’s new location feature, demonstrating the practice crosses political divides.
One account with 52,000 followers claimed to be a “proud Democrat” and “professional Maga hunter,” using language suggesting American identity and partisan affiliation whilst posting criticism of Trump and his supporters.
The user appears to have deleted their profile entirely after it was revealed through the location feature that they were based in Kenya rather than the United States, suggesting the exposure prompted abandonment of the account rather than acknowledgment and explanation.
BBC Verify has also observed numerous accounts claiming to represent Scottish political perspectives and posting almost exclusively in favour of Scottish independence from the United Kingdom, content that would normally suggest Scottish authorship.
However, according to X’s location data, these accounts appear to be accessing the platform through the Android application whilst connected to internet infrastructure in Iran. The location tab indicates they are based in the Netherlands, but X has added a warning indicator suggesting the accounts may be using virtual private networks to obscure their true locations.
Most of these exposed accounts have displayed blue verification checkmarks, indicating they subscribe to X’s Premium feature and could potentially earn money from their posts depending on engagement rates they generate. The verification badges, which were previously reserved for notable figures and authentic accounts, are now available to anyone willing to pay subscription fees.
X users must satisfy several criteria to gain access to the platform’s monetisation programme, including passing identity verification checks and generating more than 5 million impressions within three months, thresholds designed to ensure payments flow to accounts producing content that attracts substantial attention.
