‘About This Account’ Exposes X’s Vast Foreign Troll Network
▼ Summary
– X’s About This Account feature revealed numerous foreign-based accounts posing as Americans to influence US political discourse.
– Many accounts promoting US political rage, including pro-MAGA personas, were traced to countries like Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
– The feature’s location data was quickly removed by X, with disclaimers added that VPNs and proxies could affect accuracy.
– Foreign influence campaigns on X are likely driven by both state-sponsored actors, such as Russia and China, and individuals seeking monetary gain.
– Monetization on X, while modest in Western terms, can provide significant income in developing nations, incentivizing troll behavior.
For years, the social media platform now known as X has served as a primary stage for foreign influence operations targeting American political discourse. While Russian disinformation campaigns have historically drawn significant attention from U.S. authorities, the recent introduction of X’s “About This Account” feature has unexpectedly illuminated the staggering scale and global distribution of these inauthentic networks. This tool has pulled back the curtain on a widespread ecosystem of accounts that present themselves as domestic political voices but are in fact operated from overseas.
Almost as soon as the feature became available, users began identifying numerous politically charged accounts that claimed to represent American viewpoints but were registered in foreign countries. Profiles with overtly patriotic usernames, such as ULTRAMAGA🇺🇸TRUMP🇺🇸2028, were discovered to be operating from Nigeria. A verified account impersonating a former U.S. official, Tom Homan, was traced back to Eastern Europe. Another account, America_First0, appeared to originate in Bangladesh. Investigators also uncovered an entire collective of profiles portraying themselves as “Trump-supporting independent women” from the United States, which were actually managed from Thailand.
This led to the rapid formation of online threads dedicated to cataloging these pro-MAGA accounts that falsely claimed American identity. These collections revealed a coordinated network of foreign actors participating in U.S. political conversations from across the world. Simultaneously, some conservative commentators highlighted evidence suggesting that numerous left-leaning accounts were also misrepresenting their true origins. The platform quickly became inundated with users exposing what seemed like an endless stream of fabricated profiles designed to amplify political tensions and provoke outrage.
In response to the widespread exposure, X soon disabled the public display of account creation locations. The company also added disclaimers to the location data that remains visible, noting that travel or the use of VPNs and proxy servers could make this information unreliable. While this is a valid technical point for a minority of cases, it is highly improbable that such factors explain the location discrepancies for the vast majority of the accounts being identified.
A portion of these troll accounts are almost certainly part of state-sponsored influence campaigns. Nations like Russia and China have a clear strategic interest in fostering division and chaos within the American political system. However, a significant number of these operations are likely motivated by financial incentives. Although revenue from X’s creator monetization program might seem modest by Western standards, the earnings potential can represent a substantial income in many developing economies, creating a powerful motive for individuals to engage in deceptive online behavior.
(Source: The Verge)
