Anonymous accounts will be tracked! X introduces the new "About Account" feature, allowing users to see their location and the number of username changes at a glance.

The social platform X (formerly Twitter) has introduced a new feature, this time targeting not the posts but the “account itself.” The platform recently started rolling out the “About this account” feature, allowing users to view the account's registration country, current location, the number of times the username has been changed, and even whether the account was registered through the App Store or the web.

This feature has sparked discussions online, such as fake accounts, accounts that organize political agitation, or anonymous accounts, all of which can be better understood through this feature.

What can you see with this feature? A big reveal of user backgrounds.

Once your account supports this feature, you can click the “Joined” button in your profile to access the account information page. According to the current design, the page will display the following information:

account creation date

Country used during sign up

The current detected location of the system (default is country, but you can also choose to display only region or continent)

Where do users download or log in to X (e.g., Google Play, US App Store, web, etc.)

The number of times the username has been changed and the time of the last change.

Such information can not only reveal the activity trace of the account, but also make it easier for others to discern whether this is a real user or possibly a robot, fake account, or malicious manipulator.

Take the on-chain detective ZachXBT as an example.

His account location shows as West Asia, but is also marked with an exclamation mark, indicating that this geographical location may be inaccurate and the account might be using a VPN. However, based on the information about where he downloaded or logged into X, he should be located in North America.

Take the well-known trader Eugene Ng Ah Sio as an example.

The geographical location of this account comes from Singapore, but it may be inaccurate due to the use of a VPN. However, he downloaded or logged into X through the Singapore App Store, which at least shows that he does have a geographical connection to Singapore.

Taking the BNB Chain Perp DEX – Aster account as an example

This account was downloaded or logged in through the Taiwan App Store and also shows signs of using a VPN.

X official explanation: designed to verify the authenticity of the content.

According to Nikita Bier, the product director of X, the purpose of launching this feature is to “enhance the verification capability of content authenticity,” especially as deep fakes and information warfare by AI become increasingly rampant, making the scrutiny of account origins on social platforms all the more important.

The “About this account” feature began testing last month, and recently more and more users have been sharing their account screens on social media, confirming that the feature is being gradually rolled out.

X wants to use transparency to combat fake accounts and AI fraud.

This feature was first announced by Bier in October, who stated that it would initially be tested on his own account and the accounts of X employees. The goal is to make it easier for users to identify whether the other party is a real person, rather than a fake account controlled by AI or someone with malicious intent spreading false information.

For example, if an account claims to be from Texas, but the information shows it is from Eastern Europe, this may indicate that the account has ulterior motives.

The official acknowledged that the data is inaccurate, and the issue is expected to be corrected on Tuesday.

Nikita Bier, the product director of X, stated that this new feature is being rolled out globally and is “an important first step in protecting the integrity of the global online public square.” However, Bier also acknowledged that the geographical information displayed by some old accounts “is not 100% accurate,” and added that these “minor flaws are expected to be fixed before Tuesday.”

Many users have found that their account location is inaccurately marked, possibly due to past IP records, VPN usage, previous travel, or the global distribution of the account management team.

Privacy control options are here! It's up to you to decide whether to share or hide your geographic information.

For users concerned about privacy, this new feature is not entirely “exposed.” Bier has stated that users can manually choose to display either their “country” or just their “region/continent,” the latter of which serves as a safeguard for users in sensitive political areas or those facing risks in their speech.

In addition, when you make these privacy settings, the system will automatically mark your account with “You have chosen to hide geographic information,” increasing transparency while also maintaining a certain level of control.

Will the latest measures by X towards transparency bring more trust or more controversy?

Transparency in social media platforms has already become a trend. Instagram and Facebook have both launched similar features, such as “account transparency report” and “Page Transparency,” to help users understand the sources of advertisements and account backgrounds.

X This “About this account” is an important step towards this direction. Although it is still in the early stages, it is foreseeable that it will become an important tool for the platform to combat fake accounts and enhance content credibility.

However, as shown by the experiences of other platforms in the past, when “transparency” conflicts with “privacy”, how the platform should strike a balance remains a difficult problem.

This article will track anonymous accounts! X has launched a new feature “About Account” that allows users to see their location and the number of username changes at a glance, first appearing in Chain News ABMedia.