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To enhance platform transparency and curb the proliferation of fake accounts, X has begun rolling out a new feature to select users known as “About this account.” This tool publicly displays a range of background details, including a user’s location, the region where the account was created, and the number of times the handle has been changed.
According to product lead Nikita Bier and user reports, the feature not only reveals the country associated with an account, but also indicates whether the user connected through the web interface or via a specific App Store version.
Notably, X has built in several mechanisms to balance privacy with accuracy:
- Privacy options: Within profile settings, users may choose to display their precise country or opt instead for the more general region/continent as the default.
- VPN detection: If the system detects that a user is accessing X through a VPN, the profile may display a disclaimer noting that the listed country or region may be inaccurate.
This approach clearly mirrors similar transparency initiatives on other platforms, such as Facebook’s Page transparency tools and Instagram’s own “About this account” section. Bier emphasized that the purpose of the new feature is to strengthen the authenticity of content on X, enabling users to better assess the provenance of the accounts behind the posts they see.
The feature is currently being rolled out in stages. At present, users can attempt to view their own account information by tapping the “Joined” label on their profile page, though detailed data for other accounts may not yet be available.
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