X rolls out feature showing users’ country of origin

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has begun rolling out a feature allowing users, on a limited basis, to see the countries where other accounts are based. The update aims to increase transparency and help curb foreign interference and misinformation.

While the feature was not immediately visible to all users, some could navigate to an account’s bio, select the date the account joined X, and view its country of origin.

Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, explained in an October 14 post that the update is intended to help users verify content.

“When you read content on X, you should be able to verify its authenticity. This is critical to getting a pulse on important issues happening in the world. As part of that, we’re experimenting with displaying new information on profiles, including which country an account is based, among other details. Starting next week, we will surface this on a handful of profiles of X team members to get feedback,” Bier posted.

The new update allows some users to see additional account details, including where and when the X account was created, its verification status, where it was based, the number of username changes, and through which country’s app store it was connected.

Supporters argue that displaying country-based labels makes it easier to identify accounts spreading misinformation, engaging in foreign interference, farming engagement unethically, or impersonating users from other countries.

However, critics have raised privacy concerns, noting that not all users may want their locations publicly displayed. To address this, X offers an option to display a broader geographical region or continent instead of a specific country.

The limited rollout is part of X’s ongoing efforts to enhance content verification and ensure users have better context for the information they encounter on the platform