X transparency tool exposes foreign-operated political and Gaza accounts
A transparency feature launched by X on November 22, 2025, has revealed that dozens of prominent accounts purporting to be American MAGA supporters and Gaza-based war correspondents are actually operated from foreign countries, including Nigeria, Russia, Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia, exposing what researchers describe as widespread foreign interference and disinformation campaigns on social media.
The “About This Account” feature
The feature, announced by X’s head of product Nikita Bier, displays a user’s geographic location, account creation date, and username change history when other users tap the “Joined” date on a profile. The rollout marks what Bier called “an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square.”
Within hours of its deployment, users began conducting investigations into accounts that had presented themselves as American political voices or Palestinian civilians documenting the Gaza conflict.
“When you read content on X, you should be able to verify its authenticity. This is critical for staying informed about important issues happening in the world.”
— Nikita Bier, X head of product
Foreign origins of MAGA influencers
The revelations struck hardest among accounts promoting pro-Trump and “America First” content. The account MAGANationX, which boasts nearly 400,000 followers and a biography reading “Patriot Voice for We The People,” was revealed to be based in Eastern Europe. Another account called IvankaNews, with 1 million followers and content frequently discussing immigration threats and support for President Donald Trump, operates from Nigeria.
Additional exposures included:
America First, an account with 67,000 followers, is traced to Bangladesh
MAGA Scope, featuring Trump imagery and an American flag emoji, was revealed to be Nigerian-based
DarkMagaCoin, located in Thailand
An account named @1776General_ with over 140,000 followers, claiming to be a “constitutionalist” and “patriot,” was exposed as operating from Turkey
“This is easily one of the greatest days on this platform,” wrote Democratic influencer Harry Sisson. “Seeing all of these MAGA accounts get exposed as foreign actors trying to destroy the United States is a complete vindication of Democrats.”
Fake Gaza accounts unmasked
The transparency tool also exposed a network of accounts falsely claiming to document life under bombardment in Gaza. Multiple accounts purporting to be Palestinian journalists or civilians were revealed to be posting from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Poland, and Russia.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a statement declaring: “The. Gaza. Lie. Exposed. New X feature ripped mask off countless fake “Gazan” accounts. Some chap posting from Pakistan, another in London. Another manipulative abuser somewhere else. All claiming to be suffering in Gaza while in the comfort of some coffee shop far away.”
One account, @AbujomaaGaza, claims to be operated by a “Gaza-based journalist” with over 197,000 followers, but the X feature shows the account posting from Poland. The Times of Gaza account, with nearly one million followers providing “latest news updates and top stories from occupied Palestine,” was revealed to be based in “East Asia and the Pacific.”
Some exposed accounts responded to the revelations by deleting their posts entirely. An account that had claimed to be a mother in Gaza struggling to survive with her children, which frequently posted images of a distressed Palestinian woman and her malnourished infant, deleted all content after being revealed as India-based.
Cyabra, a firm specializing in detecting disinformation, confirmed that the misleading accounts are “part of a larger, orchestrated campaign” designed “to manipulate public perception and influence international discourse in real time.”
The financial motive
Content creators on X receive payment for engagement-driving posts, creating financial incentives for foreign operators to capitalize on divisive American political content. For individuals in countries like Nigeria or Bangladesh, the American dollars paid by X can significantly impact their lives, with payouts calculated based on engagement from verified premium accounts.
The Centre for Information Resilience, an independent nonprofit research organization, had previously flagged fake account networks supporting the MAGA movement during the 2024 election cycle. A joint investigation by CNN and the Centre identified 56 X profiles that appeared to be part of a coordinated initiative supporting the Trump-Vance ticket, many using stolen photos of European influencers or AI-generated images.
Feature temporarily disabled, then reinstated
The feature was briefly disabled shortly after launch, with users speculating that the exposure of far-right account origins prompted the removal. Bier addressed the disruption, explaining that the account creation location data “was not 100 percent” accurate, especially for older accounts, due to “IP ranges changing over time.”
The feature was reinstated with Bier announcing an upgrade intended to deliver “nearly 99.99%” accuracy. X is also developing a VPN detection system that would display warnings when accounts use proxy services to mask their location, stating “Country or region may not be accurate” on affected profiles.
Users can adjust privacy settings to display either their specific country or a broader geographic region under the app’s Privacy and Safety settings. Government accounts with gray check marks are exempt from location disclosure “to prevent acts of terrorism against government leaders,” according to Bier.
Questions of foreign influence
The exposures have renewed questions about foreign interference in American politics. During the 2016 election, Donald Trump and several close associates were investigated for potential conspiracy or coordination with Russia, with two campaign members ultimately indicted.
In 2024, the Department of Justice discovered that several popular right-wing influencers were reportedly unwittingly working for a company that was actually a Russian influence operation, accepting payment to amplify certain narratives.
“You got a peek behind the curtain at just how much of the MAGA hatred is just Russian propaganda,” wrote author and academic Adam Cochran.
However, some users noted that VPN usage could affect the accuracy of displayed locations and questioned whether all exposed accounts were genuinely foreign operations versus Americans using VPNs. Some right-wing personalities also highlighted evidence that left-wing accounts were similarly not based where they claimed.