Texas – X, formerly known as Twitter, is rolling out a new transparency tool called “About This Account,” designed to help users assess the authenticity and reliability of accounts they interact with. First announced in October 2025 by X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, the feature has started appearing on employee profiles and will gradually expand to all users. “When you read content on X, you should be able to verify its authenticity,” Bier wrote. “This is critical to getting a pulse on important issues happening in the world.”
By surfacing key account metadata, X aims to curb impersonation, bots, spam, and AI-generated fake profiles, while empowering users to make more informed engagement decisions. A recent experiment with Elon Musk’s mandatory country-flag feature, which briefly went live, immediately exposed thousands of suspected bot accounts, ranging from Israeli bots in India to Russian bots in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iranian bots in Canada, and fake Make America Great Again (MAGA) accounts, before the feature was temporarily turned off.
The “About This Account” feature provides a concise overview of each account, including the original join date, location or country, number of username changes, and the app or source used to access X. Users can view this information by tapping the “Joined” date on profiles. Location data is derived from IP addresses or app store usage, offering transparency about where an account is managed. The tool also flags frequent username changes and shows how accounts connect to X, whether via iOS, Android, or the web, helping identify coordinated operations.
While the panel is designed to keep profiles uncluttered, not all information appears immediately for newer accounts. Privacy remains a priority: users can display a broader region instead of a specific country, and X flags potential VPN or proxy use with a cautionary note. Additionally, opting to hide certain details triggers a notification, maintaining some level of transparency for other users.
The rollout is gradual and available on web, iOS, and Android apps, with Android users required to update to version 11.40. Early reactions have been mixed. Many users welcome the added scrutiny to expose fake accounts and coordinated misinformation campaigns, while others raise concerns about privacy and potential harassment resulting from location disclosure.
X said this launch is part of its broader push for platform authenticity under Elon Musk, aligning with efforts to combat coordinated bot operations, especially during sensitive periods like elections and international conflicts. Future updates may include additional AI detection and integration with X’s existing labels for restricted reach. Users interested in exploring the new feature can tap the “Joined” date on their profiles to see a preview and verify their account information.
