MAGA Panics As New X Feature Exposes Russia-Linked And Foreign-Run Accounts

A sweeping transparency tool on X has triggered alarm in MAGA circles, unmasking supposed American political influencers as foreign-operated actors.

Elon Musk's social media platform X has quietly introduced an 'About This Account' feature that reveals the country of origin for many high-profile political accounts, and the revelations are sending shockwaves through right-wing and left-wing spheres alike.

The move is being praised by some as a major step toward uncovering foreign interference, and criticised by others as an overreach or potential source of abuse.

Foreign-Run Accounts Revealed

Clicking on a user's 'Joined' date now opens a panel that shows not just the date they joined, but also where their account is based.

Within hours of the feature's initial launch, dozens of prominent U.S. political accounts were exposed as being operated from outside the United States.

Among the most scrutinised are MAGA-aligned pages. Accounts like MAGA NATION, with nearly 392,000 followers, were traced to Eastern Europe. Dark Maga, once presented as an ultra-conservative voice, is in fact based in Thailand. MAGA Scope, another major hub, operates out of Nigeria, while an 'America First' account with tens of thousands of followers is based in Bangladesh.

But the fallout is not purely on the right. A self-proclaimed 'Proud Democrat' known as Ron Smith, who positioned himself as a MAGA hunter, was traced to Kenya.

Meanwhile, a prominent anti-Trump page, Republicans Against Trump, which claimed nearly 1 million followers, was exposed as being registered in Austria, although X notes that a VPN may be affecting the reading.

Manipulation Or Transparency?

X says the origin-tags are not just cosmetic: they are part of a broader attempt to reveal coordinated inauthentic behaviour. Nikita Bier, X's Head of Product, said the company is 'experimenting with displaying new information on profiles, including which country an account is based, among other details.'

According to product documentation, the location determination uses a composite of data: IP geolocation, app-store country, device history, and, for paid users, billing address.

Critics warn that such data is not foolproof. VPNs, proxy servers, or the use of different app stores could all skew results, and X acknowledges this risk publicly.

Still, many argue that at least having the metadata offers a powerful new signal to assess account authenticity.

Conservative figures have not held back. Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna responded on X, writing: 'All of these pretend "pro-America" accounts ... are literally foreign grifters. I'm telling you, the foreign opp is real and so are the bot accounts.'

Another voice, Alexis Wilkins, whose partner is former FBI figure Kash Patel, warned: 'The people posing as Americans ... are actually operating from a basement across the world ... They have one common goal – to destroy the United States.'

Foreign Influence Isn't New

Experts point out the X rollout comes amid long-standing concerns over foreign influence in U.S. political discourse. A 2024 Washington Post investigation identified propaganda networks from Russia, China, and Iran still active on X, including accounts that continued to pose as Americans.

Moreover, court documents suggest foreign actors have already exploited social media platforms in deeply troubling ways. A search warrant affidavit filed by U.S. authorities alleges that 968 X (then Twitter) accounts were registered by operatives linked to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), forming part of a 'bot farm' used to spread disinformation.

Digital analysts say the timing of the feature reveal is significant, noting that foreign influence campaigns have only grown more sophisticated with AI and engagement farming.

For the first time, ordinary users can draw a 'return address' back to contentious voices online.

But not all agree that this is an unqualified win for transparency. Some warn the new feature could backfire, empowering bigoted acts of regional targeting, or penalising users from marginalized regions who choose to hide more specific location info.

Meanwhile, many MAGA-aligned users appear to view the feature as an existential threat. Already, screenshots of exposed accounts are being archived across social platforms by users who suspect a potential rollback, especially among high-reach conservative influencers.