Elon Musk-owned social media platform X will be internally testing new transparency tools that reveal more details about user accounts, including their country of origin. The initiative, led by X’s Head of Product Nikita Bier, aims to help users better assess the credibility and authenticity of accounts, particularly as bots and anonymous operators become more sophisticated with the rise of AI.
According to Bier, the upcoming feature will display where an account is based, alongside other identifying information such as when it was created, how many times its username has changed, and possibly which devices or app stores it has been used from. The goal, he explained, is to give people more context when interacting with others on the platform. The transparency push follows X’s recent efforts to reduce inauthentic activity on the platform, including the removal of 1.7 million bot accounts involved in reply spam.
“We’re experimenting with displaying new information on profiles, including which country an account is based, among other details,” Bier said in a post. “Starting next week, we will surface this on a handful of profiles of X team members to get feedback.” The tests will initially involve internal accounts before expanding to the public.
When asked whether X would reintroduce indicators showing which device a post was made from, a feature previously available under Jack Dorsey’s leadership, Bier confirmed that the team is exploring this as well. “We’re experimenting with various device details for users to form judgements on authenticity,” he added.
The move has sparked some privacy concerns, with users questioning whether publicly showing a country of origin could expose individuals to legal or political risks. Bier acknowledged these concerns, saying there will be privacy toggles for users to control what’s visible on their profiles. However, he noted that choosing to hide such details may itself be displayed to others as a transparency measure.
To protect users in sensitive regions, Bier said X would adapt the feature accordingly. “In EU countries where speech can have penalties, we should substitute country for region — to preserve their right of free expression,” he said.
(Source: Nikita Bier, via X)
