X’s newly launched “About This Account” feature is already causing shockwaves by revealing the true origins of popular accounts, exposing networks of foreign political influencers and upending the identities of major fan pages.
The feature shows the country where an account was created and how many times its username has changed. Within hours of its launch, users discovered that prominent voices in U.S. political debates—including some ardent “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) supporters—were not American. These accounts were traced to countries like Russia and Nigeria, despite pushing U.S.-centric culture wars and propaganda.
The revelations hit closer to home in Kenya, where it was discovered that “The Anfield Talk,” a popular Liverpool FC fan page with over 483,000 followers, is run locally and not from the UK as it had long presented itself.
Beyond the surprise, the feature has serious implications for identifying state-backed disinformation campaigns. Its launch coincides with a damning Amnesty International report alleging the Kenyan government weaponized social media to track, intimidate, and silence thousands of Gen Z protesters in 2024 and 2025 through coordinated trolling and smear campaigns. The new tool could now make it harder for such actors to hide behind pseudo-anonymous accounts.
By James Kisoo
