X's new location feature raises questions about the origin of some MAGA accounts

"A new update on X that makes it possible to see users' locations has cast doubt on whether some of the most prominent Make America Great Again (MAGA) accounts on the platform are actually being operated from inside the United States. Since the platform enabled the about this account feature, it has become clear that several accounts with thousands of followers devoted to President Donald Trump's movement are in fact located outside the country."

"Among the accounts that raised alarms are @MAGANationX, operated from Eastern Europe; @DarkMagaCoin, which posts content from Thailand; @MAGA100X, active in Germany; @ScopeMaga_ in Nigeria; and @RightScopee in Egypt. Following this update, attention also turned to other accounts with a significant presence on X whose profiles began to be scrutinized even though, unlike the accounts supporting the U.S. president, they are more clearly global such as those supporting Palestine."

"The controversy over pro-Trump profiles operated from abroad has resurfaced years after the first judicial and journalist investigations revealed armies of bots linked to Russia that carried out a massive social-media campaign against Hillary Clinton during the 2016 U.S. elections. In the months leading up to the vote, the so-called Internet Research Agency, a nominally independent company based in St. Petersburg but closely tied to the Putin regime, impersonated U.S. citizens to spread fake news in support of Trump's candidacy."

X added an about this account feature that reveals users' locations. The change exposed several high-following MAGA accounts that appear to be operated from outside the United States. Accounts flagged include @MAGANationX in Eastern Europe, @DarkMagaCoin in Thailand, @MAGA100X in Germany, @ScopeMaga_ in Nigeria, and @RightScopee in Egypt. The feature also prompted scrutiny of other globally oriented profiles, including those supporting Palestine. The revelations echo past investigations into Russia-linked bot farms like the Internet Research Agency, which ran impersonation campaigns in 2016. No formal investigation has been launched in response to the recent findings.

Read at english.elpais.com