Canadian researchers specializing in tracking online misinformation and foreign interference have expressed support for a new feature introduced by X that discloses the geographic location of user accounts. However, they caution that the feature still has some flaws and should be interpreted cautiously. While the ability to unveil the true locations of accounts has the potential to expose fake profiles and foreign entities posing as Canadians to influence political narratives, there are concerns about potential risks to individuals, such as dissidents, whose locations or use of VPNs may be inadvertently revealed.
X, formerly known as Twitter, recently launched an “about this account” feature that displays the geographical locations of user accounts. This move, aimed at enhancing transparency in countering the spread of misinformation and disinformation online, caught many users in the U.S. and Canada off guard, triggering a flurry of scrutiny. Several influential accounts supporting the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement were found to be based outside the U.S., including in regions like Eastern Europe, Russia, and Nigeria, raising suspicions of foreign influence on the movement.
Moreover, discrepancies in location information have been identified in accounts engaging in discussions about Canadian politics. For instance, a prominent Conservative-leaning account with over 150,000 followers was listed as being in Italy, while an account advocating for Alberta sovereignty with 15,000 followers was indicated to be located in Thailand. Notably, some federal political parties and media organizations, including the CBC, were also flagged as being situated outside of Canada.
Experts have pointed out that the feature’s accuracy in determining account locations is based on aggregated IP addresses associated with the accounts, which may lead to inaccuracies. While the tool is seen as a step towards combating bot accounts and foreign influence operations, there are concerns about its impact on individuals using VPNs for privacy and security reasons. Activists, journalists, and individuals under oppressive regimes rely on VPNs to protect their identities and activities online, and exposing their VPN usage could potentially endanger them.
Despite potential inaccuracies, the enhanced transparency provided by the new feature is considered valuable for identifying accounts involved in foreign interference activities. However, researchers caution that critical thinking is essential when interpreting location data online and urge users to use it as a supplementary tool to evaluate content authenticity.