2025/11/25-X's new location transparency feature unleashes questions about origins of MAGA accounts

X's new location transparency feature unleashes questions about origins of MAGA accounts

From LearnAndRecord

A new transparency feature on X has stirred confusion, anger and a wave of online sleuthing after users discovered that the platform was suddenly displaying the surprising locations where certain accounts are based.

*transparency-透明性；stir-激发，激起；sleuth-n.侦探，v.侦察 *

Over the weekend, users noticed that clicking an account's join date now opens a tab that shows the country or region in which the account is located.

X's head of product, Nikita Bier, teased the feature last month as a way to help users verify the authenticity of content they read and limit the influence of troll farms.

tease-这里表示“预告”；authenticity-真实性；troll farms-网络水军

But as soon as the feature appeared live for users, X was flooded with viral posts showing that numerous high-engagement, MAGA-branded accounts that present themselves as those of patriotic Americans appear to instead be based overseas in Eastern Europe, Thailand, Nigeria and Bangladesh.

patriotic-爱国的；overseas-adv.在海外，在国外

An account that calls itself “ULTRAMAGA 🇺🇸 TRUMP🇺🇸2028,” claiming to be based in Washington, D.C., is listed as being based in Africa. Another now-deleted account with a President Donald Trump-inspired username — “Trump Is My President” — was listed as being based in Macedonia. And an account with the username @American, complete with a profile picture featuring a bald eagle over an American flag, is apparently based in South Asia.

bald-秃的；eagle-鹰；profile picture-头像

But the posts that stirred the biggest frenzy came Friday morning, when screenshots and screen recordings claiming the U.S. Department of Homeland Security account was listed as being based in Israel quickly went viral. The department and Bier have both denied the speculation, claiming the posts are spreading misinformation.

speculation-猜测，推断；Israel-以色列；frenzy-疯狂，狂热

X users circulated images and videos that alleged to show the location field displaying “Tel Aviv, Israel.” The account information feature abruptly disappeared Friday night.

circulate-（使）传播，（使）散布；

NBC News did not view the account's location before the feature went away Friday and has not confirmed the authenticity of the posts.

The situation unfolded amid mounting backlash from across the political spectrum to U.S. officials' support for Israel, which many commentators have lamented as appearing to prioritize a foreign entity over America.

unfold-打开，展现；mounting-越来越多的；backlash-强烈抵制，集体反对；lament-v.（为...）感到悲痛 n.挽歌，悼词

DHS initially responded with a meme-like image of Trump, looking stunned, which neither confirmed nor denied the discourse about its account location.

meme-梗，段子；discourse-演讲，谈话

On Sunday, it followed up with an official denial.

denial-否定

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

manipulate-操纵；screenshot-屏幕截图；forge-伪造

Bier said in a post that there are still “a few rough edges” around the feature that should be resolved by Tuesday.

“If any data is incorrect, it will be updated periodically based on best available information,” he wrote. “This happens on a delayed and randomized schedule to preserve privacy.”

randomize-随机选择；preserve-保护