On\u00a0Nov 23, social media platform\u00a0X\u00a0rolled out a new feature that makes the public aware where an account is based.<\/p>\n
It sparked a firestorm in the US and around the world, with concerns raised about potential foreign interference.<\/p>\n
Among other things, the new \u201cAbout This Account\u201d feature showed that many accounts which were supposedly American were\u00a0operating from countries such as India or Nigeria<\/p>\n
Some of these accounts have hundreds of thousands of followers, with many posting about domestic policies.<\/p>\n
One of them,\u00a0@TRUMP_ARMY_, with almost\u00a0600,000 followers, commented extensively on things like immigration, with one post in 2024 calling illegal immigration the greatest threat to the US.<\/p>\n
After being revealed to be operating from\u00a0India, the account quickly changed tack, positioning itself as \u201can Indian who loves America, President Trump, Musk!\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Straits Times\u00a0examined 12 X accounts of pages that have commented frequently on Singapore\u2019s policies and politics, and found that most of them appeared to be based elsewhere.<\/p>\n
One account, by the\u00a0Critical Spectator, was found to be based in the\u00a0United Arab Emirates\u00a0and was deleted shortly after the release of the new feature.<\/p>\n
The feature was first announced by\u00a0X product head Nikita Bier on Oct 15.<\/p>\n
He said it aims to reduce inauthentic engagement on the platform by exposing these details.<\/p>\n
This allows users to make a more informed decision about whether they are interacting with a bad actor that may be trying to incite tensions or spread misinformation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe plan to provide many more ways for users to verify the authenticity of the content they see on X.\u201d<\/p>\n
Accounts with\u00a0grey check marks, indicating that they belong to a government organisation or official, or a multilateral organisation, are exempted from having their locations displayed, he added.<\/p>\n
While Mr Bier described the accuracy as being \u201cnearly 99.99 per cent\u201d, X did not provide any information as to which data sources it pulls from to pinpoint a user\u2019s location.<\/p>\n
There have been some disparities between where users claim to be and the location data provided by X. This has led to accusations of deception, with some users being accused of being foreign agents.<\/p>\n
Mr Oleg Ishanov, the director of threat research at cyber-security firm Acronis, said that although the platform can make an educated guess, the process is not completely foolproof.<\/p>\n
He explained that tech platforms tap a number of data points, including a user\u2019s IP address and which country\u2019s app store an app was downloaded from, to derive the user\u2019s location.<\/p>\n
This is reasonably accurate, but not 100 per cent, he told ST.<\/p>\n
Factors such as a user travelling outside the country or the use of a\u00a0virtual private network (VPN)\u00a0may affect the location shown.<\/p>\n
But for the most part, the roll-out of the feature appears to be a strategic move by X, said Mr Ishanov.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cBy bringing more information to users, they get to make the final decision whether an account should be trusted. Greater responsibility is now on the end-user.\u201d<\/p>\n
ST examined a dozen X accounts of pages that frequently comment on Singapore, including those that have been issued orders under the\u00a0Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act.<\/p>\n
Of these,\u00a0three\u00a0were shown to be based in Singapore, although X showed that one of them was connected through the\u00a0Indonesian Android app.<\/p>\n
Each account would show a different location, depending on which platform the app was downloaded from, said Mr Ishanov.<\/p>\n Table of 12 X accounts which comment extensively on Singapore politics and where they are based.<\/p>\n Table: Straits Time Graphics App stores also generally separate users by country or region, he added.<\/p>\n However, this information will not necessarily show where an individual is based, citing how expatriates may have downloaded the X app from their home country\u2019s app store, but live elsewhere\u00a0on the globe.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the average user, though, this info will be close to the truth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, accounts suspected of using a proxy to connect, such as a VPN, will show a message indicating their country or region may not be accurate.<\/p>\n This information is accompanied by an exclamation mark, with X acknowledging that some internet service providers may use proxies without any action on the user\u2019s part.<\/p>\n Most of the accounts matched information that is already publicly known, such as The Inquiry, run by former Singaporean\u00a0Zulfikar Moha\u00admad Shariff, being based out of Australia, where he is now a citizen.<\/p>\n Accounts tied to\u00a0The Online Citizen (TOC) editor Terry Xu, comprising TOC, Gutzy Asia and Heidoh, were all\u00a0based out of Taiwan, where he lives.<\/p>\n However, the account belonging to the\u00a0Critical Spectator\u00a0was deleted shortly after the new feature was introduced.<\/p>\n Checks by ST on\u00a0Nov 24\u00a0showed that the account was based out of the\u00a0United Arab Emirates, and connected through the\u00a0Polish app store.<\/p>\n Run by Polish national\u00a0Michal Piotr Pietrusinski, who also goes by\u00a0Michael Petraeus, the online platform publishes commentaries on Singapore politics, with its most recent one on Nov 21 asserting that founding prime minister\u00a0Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s final wish was to preserve his\u00a0residence at 38 Oxley Road.<\/p>\n On\u00a0Nov 25, a search for the profile on X showed that the account no longer existed, with the social media link provided on the Critical Spectator\u2019s website also redirecting to the same error message.<\/p>\n At about 7.30pm on Nov 28, ST found that the account was active again. It was deactivated later in the night, before being active again.<\/p>\n Deleting an account on X is a 30-day process, with deactivation being the first step. Deactivation will hide one\u2019s profile, and after 30 days, the account will be deleted.<\/p>\n Logging in within that time period, however, will reactivate it.<\/p>\n The reactivated account information showed that it was now based out of Poland, and it had also lost its blue checkmark.<\/p>\n The checkmark indicates that the account was subscribed to X Premium.<\/p>\n The X account of the Critical Spectator showing that it was based out of Poland.<\/p>\n Photo: Screengrab From X<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n According to X\u2019s website, the platform can remove the checkmark \u201cat any time without notice\u201d, for reasons that include the violating of any of its rules or manipulating of its processes.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the account of alternative news site Wake Up Singapore was also found to have been deactivated as at 6pm on Nov 29.<\/p>\n Aside from the 12, other X accounts that frequently post about Singapore appear to be based elsewhere.<\/p>\n The accounts\u00a0LeeKuanYewRespecter and Lee Kuan Yew Geopolitics, which carry posts of the late prime minister\u2019s quotes and photos, are based in\u00a0Australia and India,\u00a0respectively.<\/p>\n Being based overseas and commenting on Singapore politics is not necessarily wrong, however, said\u00a0Singapore Management University Assistant Professor Benjamin Joshua Ong, who teaches law.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is true that as the saying goes, \u2018Singaporean matters are ultimately for Singaporeans to decide\u2019, but there is nothing wrong with those Singaporeans considering input from foreigners when deciding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n What is unacceptable is if deception is involved, such as when a social media user pretends to be Singaporean despite being a foreigner, or if the user posts false or deliberately misleading statements, sometimes at the behest of others.<\/p>\n Attempting to exert control over governmental affairs here, rather than simply looking to persuade Singaporeans, would also be a problem, he added.<\/p>\n Prof Ong said: \u201cSocial media platform operators have responsibilities.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter all, they are the ones who purport to control what can and can\u2019t be posted on their platforms, and they are often responsible for deciding what content users see, what content is given prominence, what content attention is drawn to.<\/p>\n \u201cBut readers must be discerning too.\u201d<\/p>\n Note<\/i><\/b>: This article was written by Aqil Hamzah and David Sun and first appeared in The Straits Times on 28 November 2025.<\/i><\/p>\n Source: The Straits Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nSource: X<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n