Introduction to Foreign Influence on US Politics
They go by names like @TRUMP_ARMY – or @MAGANationX, and their verified accounts proudly display portraits of President Donald Trump, voter rallies and American flags. And they constantly post to their followers about US politics, sounding like die-hard fans of the president. But after a weekend update from social media platform X, it is now clear that the owners of these and many other accounts are based in regions such as South Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.
Discovery of Foreign Accounts
Elon Musk’s X unveiled a feature on Saturday that would allow users to see where an account is located. Online sleuths and experts quickly discovered that many popular accounts that post support for the MAGA movement with thousands or hundreds of thousands of followers are based outside the United States — raising concerns about foreign influence in U.S. politics. Researchers at NewsGuard, a company that tracks online misinformation, identified several popular accounts — supposedly run by politically interested Americans — that were instead based in Eastern Europe, Asia or Africa.
Misleading Claims and Polarizing Content
The reports were leading peddlers of some misleading and polarizing claims about U.S. politics, including those that said Democrats bribed moderators of a 2024 presidential debate. Some of the accounts supported murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk as well as President Donald Trump’s children. Many of the accounts were decorated with U.S. flags or contained comments suggesting they were American.
Location Feature and Accuracy
Nikita Bier, product manager at X, announced on Saturday that the social media platform is launching an “About This Account” tool that allows users to see the country or region in which an account is based. To find an account’s location, tap or click the login date shown on the profile. Bier said Sunday that the tool would be 99.99% accurate after an update, although this could not be independently verified. For example, accounts may use a virtual private network or VPN to mask their true location.
Expert Insights and Concerns
“Location data will always be taken with a grain of salt,” said Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust, and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech. "Its usefulness is likely peaking now that it has just been exposed, and bad actors will adapt." Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told CBS News that these types of accounts are fueled by public interest in current events and America’s highly polarized politics. “It shines a light on this new anger economy that exists on social media, including X, that exploits current affairs,” Krebs said.
Motives and Misinformation
NewsGuard also found evidence that some X users are spreading misinformation about the location feature itself, falsely accusing some accounts of operating from abroad when they are actually being used by Americans. Investigators found several cases in which a user created fake screenshots that suggested an account was created abroad. It is not always clear what motives lie behind the reports. While some may be state actors, it is likely that many are financially motivated and post comments, memes and videos to generate engagement.
User Reaction and Privacy Concerns
Users were divided over the new ability to view an account’s location information, with some wondering if it was going too far. “Isn’t this some kind of invasion of privacy?” one X user wrote. “No one needs to see this information.” The introduction of the location feature has sparked a debate about the balance between transparency and privacy on social media platforms.
