Panda SecurityAfter X introduced the “About this account” feature, users can no longer completely hide their location on X. However, users on Elon Musk’s social media platform can partially conceal their location by choosing a broader “Region/Continent” display instead. Users wanting to amend the region need to do so themselves, as the default setting is country-level. X users can use VPN services if they want to try to trick X. But taking advantage of a VPN is certainly not a silver bullet. X uses third-party service providers to spot such connections.
Adjusting the settings could also help them claim to be from one region. Still, the info shown in the recently introduced “About this account” feature might differ. Exposing the real user location, and using a VPN can trigger a warning. Right after X rolled out the feature, some popular social media accounts deactivated themselves.. Afterward, their followers learned that they were actually based overseas. It is not a crime in the USA for non-Americans to claim they are US citizens on social media. But it is against the T&Cs of many social media platforms.
Key takeaways
- X users can no longer hide their location information entirely. They can only do so by using a VPN, which comes with the caveat of a proxy warning on the account.
- Social media users can still partially conceal their location. By changing the default settings, they can share the region/continent instead of the country.
- Elon Musk’s X introduced the “About this account” feature to fight back on foreign influence and troll factories.
- Authorities consider mispresenting US citizenship a crime only on official documents. Still, it can have repercussions on social media if the statement is untrue. Claiming foreign citizenship on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook is against the T&Cs.
Why did X introduce the “About this account” feature, and what information does it contain?
The “About this account” feature, introduced just a few weeks ago, contains information about the account owner. The feature includes the date the user joined X, the account’s location, and whether the account is verified. In addition, X provides information on how the user is connected to the platform, showing whether they access it via the App Store in the US or in other countries such as Pakistan.
The feature was introduced primarily to prevent foreign actors from claiming to be Americans. After the change, many accounts that were blamed for causing division within political parties and movements turned out to be based abroad. The feature is also an attempt to fight and reduce the power and credibility of troll farms. These trolls farms are often based overseas but claim to be located in the USA.
What are troll farms?
Troll farms, also known as troll factories, operate as organized businesses that hire people to carry out online activities. These activities include, but are not limited to, pushing political agendas and marketing products and services. They also generally influence social media users to read, post, and share misleading and provocative content. That serves the agenda of the troll farms’ clients. Political figures, brands, and other entities use such services to mimic organic activity. Examples come in many shapes and forms. Such as comments under social media posts from popular mainstream media accounts or Reddit posts.
Why is it illegal for users to falsely claim American citizenship on state and federal documents?
One of the easiest ways for non-citizens residing in the USA to get to the top of the naughty list and be eligible for deportation is to claim they are American citizens. The offense is particularly enforced when non-citizens claim to be Americans to exploit a federal or state benefit available only to US citizens. Making false citizenship claims can lead to fines, imprisonment, and a ban on returning to or gaining legal status in the USA ever again. While claiming on social media that you are an American citizen is not illegal in itself, it can lead to trouble. In many cases, it also violates the T&Cs of platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
Can users connect via VPN to amend location info?
They can, but if users use a VPN, they should be fine with their followers seeing a warning message stating that the user may be connecting via a proxy, which can differ from the country or region displayed on the profile. If the end goal is privacy – using a proxy, such as VPN services often included in top anti-virus software solutions, is the best choice. While the <strong>warning would let followers know the user is using VPN, that is completely normal for people who value their privacy and/or located in places where VPN is the only way to operate because of government oppression or other factors.
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>It is possible to hide a user’s location to some extent. Privacy-savvy users can easily adjust the region to show the continent but not the country of origin. While the new feature aims to promote transparency, it comes with flaws, as usual. These include VPN false positives and location errors.
However, the changes have certainly sparked a conversation about foreign influence not only in the US but in other countries around the globe. While X is attempting to change things around, it is not the only social media platform trying to weed out bots and fake accounts. Other platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, have also been in a “forever war” with fake accounts, bots, and human posters. Companies hire these posters to publish biased comments pretending to be organic activity. It is against the T&Cs of almost all platforms to post undisclosed paid comments or to be part of a fake engagement scheme. It is a known fact that social media platforms remove billions of accounts annually via AI/IP checks.
