Last week, the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, initiated the rollout of a new location feature designed to reveal the country from which account holders post. This move aimed to enhance transparency on the platform and assist users in identifying fake accounts that are widely recognized for disseminating disinformation online. Nonetheless, users reported mixed experiences during the sluggish rollout, with some accounts accurately displaying locations while others claimed to show locations they had never visited.
WHAT HAPPENED?
With its global launch over the weekend, users can now click on the join date of a profile to access an “about this account” page, where their location is disclosed. This new feature reportedly uncovered that numerous accounts linked to Canadian political parties, businesses, and media outlets were listed as operating from outside of Canada. For example, users noted that the accounts for the federal Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP), along with the British Columbia (BC) NDP, initially showed locations in the United States, although this information has since been corrected to reflect Canada.
In the United States, many well-known accounts that frequently post content concerning or opposing former President Donald Trump also appeared to be based outside the country. However, a portion of users claimed that the locations displayed on their accounts were inaccurate, leading to further confusion.
WHY LOCATION DATA MIGHT NOT BE RELIABLE
According to Philip Mai, co-director of the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, his own X account incorrectly listed his location as Germany, a country he had recently visited. This is largely due to X’s dependence on a user's IP address, a distinctive identifier assigned to all internet-connected devices. When a user logs into X while traveling, their IP address reflects their location at the time, potentially leading to inaccuracies.
Additively, some users employ Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to mask their original IP addresses, substituting them with that of a VPN server's location. This practice can further compromise the accuracy of location data provided by X. A spokesperson from the BC NDP stated that their account showed a U.S. location because it utilizes a content management system for social media posts, which recorded the IP address from the U.S.-based server. In contrast, a Liberal Party spokesperson informed The Canadian Press that their social accounts are managed from Canada.
Several accounts associated with the Alberta separatist movement were found to have incorrect locations as well. The Alberta Prosperity Project, an account boasting over 15,000 followers, declared its Thai location to be erroneous, attributing the discrepancy to a “technical limitation” of X’s system. Meanwhile, one separatist account indicated spending time in California, leading to the incorrect display of a U.S. location, while another noted it was a result of utilizing a VPN.
Ahmed Al-Rawi, an associate professor at Simon Fraser University's School of Communication, expressed that while the location feature could provide insights into an account's potential origin, he would not consider it a reliable source of information. He observed that while many social media platforms adopt reasonably reliable methods for tracking user location—citing TikTok's adaptability to local content when changing countries—X's location feature appeared to add confusion rather than clarity, exacerbating the platform's existing toxicity.
HOW DID X RESPOND?
Nikita Bier, the head of product for X, acknowledged in a post that the new feature encountered “a few rough edges that will be resolved by Tuesday.” He assured users that if any data was incorrect, it would be updated based on the best available information and noted that the location data would be revised periodically following a “delayed and randomized schedule.” There was also recognition of complications for users connecting to the app via Starlink, the satellite network owned by Elon Musk, which Bier mentioned caused discrepancies in displaying accurate locations.
WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Philip Mai remarked that the implementation of this feature is unlikely to deter malicious actors, who may continue their disinformation activities regardless of the revelation of their locations. Furthermore, such accounts could simply spoof their location information, rendering X’s efforts less effective. He concluded that while the feature might serve as an additional internal signal for X’s trust and safety team, it lacks reliability as an exclusive data point upon which users can base their trust in any given account.
