.png){kind=logo}
X has introduced a location tagging feature that displays the country or region where an account is based. Users see the label in the “About This Account” panel. The panel opens when they tap the signup date on a profile. X says the change helps people add context to posts and spot coordinated manipulation.
The company began the global rollout on November 22, 2025. Within hours, users reported inaccuracies tied to VPN use and older account data. X removed some labels temporarily and said it will restore them after upgrades aimed at higher accuracy. Product head Nikita Bier said the system updates location on a delayed, randomized schedule to limit real-time tracking.
X has also said it will not show locations for verified government accounts. The decision contrasts with earlier statements from owner Elon Musk that emphasized anonymous speech.
Ethereum Co-Founder, Vitalik Buterin, has warned that the X location tagging feature offers only short-term benefits. He expects sophisticated actors to bypass the labels and present themselves as local voices in other countries. He argues that influence groups can rent phone numbers, IP addresses, and identity documents to create accounts with false locations.
Buterin added that attackers do not need to fake millions of profiles. They can build a smaller number of spoofed accounts and grow them to large followings. He predicts foreign troll accounts will imitate US or UK origins within six months. This could weaken the labels as a trust signal.
Other crypto figures have echoed his concerns. Uniswap Founder, Hayden Adams, said location sharing should be optional, not automatic. Developers and analysts noted past offline targeting in crypto. They said even country labels can raise risks for high-profile holders.
Some community members have circulated instructions on hiding the label or switching from a country tag to a broader region. Critics reply that optional settings do not fix a default system that reveals location without consent. Furthermore, they want an opt-out for all users and clearer communication about how X assigns locations.
Supporters of the country labels say extra friction for faking location could cut down on bots and spam. They note that country information can help users judge posts tied to elections, conflicts, or public health. Critics counter that by saying users must check locations one by one, so the tool offers limited help at scale.
The controversy arises as Buterin faces another technical dispute inside the Ethereum ecosystem. Offchain Labs, the team behind Arbitrum, has challenged its proposal to move Ethereum’s execution layer toward RISC-V. Offchain Labs argues that WebAssembly can serve as a better long-term contract format. The team says Ethereum can still compile WASM to RISC-V for zero-knowledge proof.
Taken together, the two debates show tension between transparency tools and privacy expectations. They also show how platforms weigh security gains against privacy risks. Observers expect X to face continued pressure for stronger opt-in controls.
Also Read: Elon Musk’s X Launches XChat: Secure Messaging Rivals WhatsApp Now
