X’s 'About This Account' rollout — what location disclosures mean for safety and verification

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has rolled out a global About This Account feature that adds location and other metadata to public profiles. The change is intended to improve transparency and help users assess the authenticity of accounts, but experts warn it also raises privacy and safety risks.

What changed

The About This Account page now includes the country or region where an account is based, the account creation date, username-change history and timestamps, the country of origin at account creation, and whether the app was installed from Android or the iOS App Store (and in which country). For verified accounts, the page can also show the verification date and, in some cases, company affiliation.

How X explains the update

Nikita Bier, X's head of product, announced the rollout and framed it as a step toward more authentic public conversation. He said the company plans additional tools to help users verify content and that incorrect metadata will be updated periodically following a delayed, randomized schedule intended to preserve privacy.

Safety and privacy concerns

Experts warn the disclosures could endanger users who need anonymity for safety reasons. Mark Owen Jones, an associate professor of media analytics, said publishing location metadata could allow hostile actors to cross-check accounts and narrow a person's whereabouts, potentially leading to doxxing, harassment or reputational harm.

Jones also highlighted that the feature may be manipulated to discredit vulnerable communities. For example, claims that accounts allegedly representing people in conflict zones are based elsewhere could be used to undermine genuine voices or to manufacture evidence of dishonesty.

Technical limits and manipulation

The new labels do not appear to guarantee accuracy. Many users and organizations employ virtual private networks (VPNs) and other tools that can mask or spoof IP-based locations. That makes the location field potentially unreliable as an indicator of where a person actually is.

Doctored screenshots and videos of About This Account pages have already circulated. X has corrected some false claims and emphasized that screenshots are easy to forge, underscoring the need for caution when interpreting location data.

Examples and reactions

Since the feature launched, observers have pointed to accounts that claim to represent people in Gaza but show other countries on their About This Account pages, and to some US political pages that are listed as being based abroad. Officials and advocacy groups have used the new data to call out suspected impersonation, while others warn the information can be misleading without corroboration.

Who bears responsibility?

Some critics say the rollout shifts the burden of detecting bots, scams and state-linked influence operations onto users rather than addressing platform-level enforcement. They argue the company should invest in stronger verification and abuse-detection systems instead of relying on crowdsourced scrutiny of imperfect metadata.

Practical guidance for users

• Treat location labels as one data point: Use them alongside other signals such as posting patterns, who follows an account, and linked sources.
• Be cautious with accusations: Do not assume that a mismatch between stated and displayed location proves deception; VPNs and other factors can produce false signals.
• Protect vulnerable accounts: People in high-risk contexts should be aware that added metadata may increase exposure and take privacy precautions where possible.
• Verify before sharing: Check multiple sources before amplifying claims based on About This Account data.

In short, X's new About This Account feature offers more context on who may be behind a profile, but it is not a panacea. The labels can help reveal suspicious patterns, yet they are imperfect and can be manipulated. Users, platforms and researchers will need to combine technical safeguards, careful verification and responsible reporting to reduce harm while improving transparency.