X location feature reveals some MAGA accounts abroad, sparking online debate

Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, had teased the feature last month as a tool to help users verify content authenticity and curb the influence of troll farms, which often operate political accounts from outside the countries they target.

Once the feature went live, users quickly spotted that many high-engagement “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) accounts, which present themselves as patriotic Americans, are actually based abroad, in countries such as Eastern Europe, Thailand, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.

Users also claimed that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) account was shown as based in Israel. X users shared images and videos claiming the location field showed “Tel Aviv, Israel.” The account information feature was removed on Friday night.

On Sunday, both the department and Bier denied the claims, calling them misinformation.

“I can’t believe we have to say this, but this account has only ever been run and operated from the United States,” DHS said. “Screenshots are easy to forge, videos are easy to manipulate. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Later, Bier said the tool still has “a few rough edges” that should be resolved by Tuesday, adding that “if any data is incorrect, it will be updated periodically based on the best available information” on a delayed, randomized schedule to preserve privacy.