Elon Musk's X Feature Unmasks Foreign Trolls Posing as MAGA Influencers, Sparking Disinformation Fears

A new "About This Account" feature on Elon Musk's X platform has inadvertently exposed dozens of prominent right-wing and MAGA-aligned accounts as originating from outside the United States, raising alarms about foreign actors profiting from political division in American discourse, as reported by The Independent.

The tool, which reveals an account's creation location, username change history, and app download method, went live on Friday and quickly led to revelations that many U.S.-focused conservative profiles were started in countries like Nigeria, India, Russia, and Eastern Europe. Examples include the account MAGANationX, whose bio proclaims it as a "Patriot Voice for We The People," but was created in Eastern Europe.

Similarly, "MAGA Scope," featuring a profile image of President Donald Trump in a tuxedo and an American flag emoji, was traced back to Nigeria in 2024. Left-leaning influencers like Harry Sisson hailed the discoveries as "one of the greatest days on this platform," viewing it as validation for warnings about foreign interference aimed at undermining U.S. unity.

According to the Independent, Micah Erfan, another critic, noted that "like half of their large accounts were foreigners posing as Americans all along.

"The feature's rollout sparked immediate scrutiny, with some users questioning its accuracy due to potential VPN usage, which could mask true locations.

Nikita Bier, X's head of product development, acknowledged "a few rough edges" and announced plans to address VPN-related discrepancies.

The tool was briefly disabled hours after launch, fueling speculation it was pulled in response to the exposures, but has since been reinstated.

Musk has faced criticism for slashing content moderation teams, leading to a surge in fake accounts and misinformation, particularly during the 2024 U.S. election cycle. Independent research from groups like the Centre for Information Resilience identified over a dozen fake MAGA profiles using stolen photos of European models and influencers to pose as pro-Trump American women, amplifying divisive content.

Brett Meiselas, co-founder of the progressive media outlet MeidasTouch, warned in a social media video: "Just think about the foreign influence operations that are happening right now on this app. Think about the lawmakers who feel pressured by accounts like this. Think about the disinformation that spreads as a result."

The revelations echo a 2024 Department of Justice investigation into a Russian influence operation, where several right-wing influencers, including Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, and Dave Rubin, were unwittingly paid through Tenet Media, a company secretly funded by Russian state media employees. The influencers, who promoted Kremlin-aligned narratives on topics like Ukraine and U.S. politics, claimed they were unaware of the funding source.

Experts note that nothing legally prevents non-U.S. users from engaging in political commentary, but the monetization of such content, through ads, subscriptions, or donations, raises ethical questions about transparency and influence on American voters.