- X is rolling out a new “About this account” section that shows where an account is based, its username change history, join date, and how the app was downloaded.
- Users can control how precise their visible location is, and X is also testing VPN and proxy warnings as another signal against inauthentic activity.
- The move fits into a wider push on account transparency and authenticity on X, drawing both praise and concern from digital rights experts.
Bold step forward as X quietly rolls out About This Account transparency feature
Elon Musk’s X has started rolling out a new “About this account” section on profiles, a feature that the company says is meant to bring more clarity to who users are actually talking to. X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, put it bluntly in an internal briefing shared publicly, saying, “We want users to be able to make informed decisions about who they’re talking to by surfacing basic account provenance data.”
The rollout began in November 2025, first appearing on Bier’s profile and those of other X employees, then gradually spreading to regular users across regions. Early reports confirm that it is now visible for many accounts when they tap or click the “Joined” date on their own profile, with availability expanding in waves rather than all at once. Coverage on TechCrunch and tracking by independent watchers show the feature quietly switching on for more people through November 21.
What users now see in About This Account on X
X’s own help documentation describes the feature in clear terms. On the official account transparency help page, the company explains, “These details let users see where accounts are based, their username change history, join date, and the way the X app was downloaded.” You can find that description on the updated help center page on account transparency.
Open your profile, tap the “Joined” date, and a dedicated “About this account” screen appears. Based on what X has outlined in its help pages and blog updates, it currently surfaces four main signals:
- Base location showing the country or broader region where the account is set
- Username changes including how many times you have changed your handle and when the last change happened
- Original join date for when the account was first created on Twitter or X
- Download method such as “Connected via United States App Store” or Google Play, indicating how the app was first installed
These same details are documented in more depth in X’s own account transparency updates blog post, which lays out how the company wants to bring “real-time account context” directly into profiles, not just buried in settings.
X users still control how their location appears
X is also trying to thread a needle between transparency and personal safety. The company’s blog notes, “In regions where displaying a precise country could create risk, users can opt to show their region or continent instead.” That option is already visible for many people under Privacy and Safety in the “About your account” settings.
From there, you can choose whether your About This Account section shows your country or a broader region or continent. X positions this as a safety valve for users in places where revealing a specific country might increase risk, but the toggle also appears for users in the United States and Europe according to early rollout reports.
Anyone who wants to go beyond in-app controls and lock down their wider digital footprint might also look at independent tools. Identity and threat protection services like Aura can help monitor for account takeovers, leaked credentials and phishing attempts that X’s transparency tools alone cannot catch, especially as more social accounts become critical for work or activism.
Fighting inauthentic activity and bots on X
The bigger context is X’s ongoing fight against inauthentic behavior and bot networks. Elon Musk summed up the philosophy in a recent post, writing, “Transparency is the best defense against manipulative accounts. More sunlight, less shadow.” That message sits alongside past moves like open sourcing parts of X’s recommendation code and cracking down on automated spam.
By tying visible signals like account location, join date and username history directly to profiles, X is trying to make it easier for regular users, journalists and researchers to spot red flags. One practical example that X and outside observers have pointed to is a mismatch between an account’s bio and its listed base location. If someone claims to be a local commentator in a U.S. state but their profile shows the account is based overseas, that might prompt closer scrutiny.
This push also lines up with wider conversations around authenticity and generative content online. At The TechBull we have already covered how feeds can feel less human in stories like whether social media feeds are losing their human touch in 2025 and how deepfake scams and AI powered impersonators are hijacking trust. X’s About This Account feature fits into that same debate about how users can tell what, and who, to trust online.
VPN and proxy warnings as a new signal on profiles
X is also preparing to reveal when an account appears to be masking its location. Reverse engineer Aaron, known as @aaronp613, posted that “X is developing a feature to advise if an account appears to use a VPN or proxy to mask its country or region.” Code he surfaced shows text warning that a partner has indicated a connection via proxy or VPN and that the country or region on the profile “may not be accurate.” This behavior has also been tracked in coverage on Social Media Today’s breakdown of upcoming account info changes on X.
The feature does not block VPN usage but adds one more visible data point next to the country label. That move has already sparked discussion among privacy advocates who argue that journalists, activists and vulnerable users often rely on VPNs for safety. It is a classic tension between exposing manipulation and not putting at-risk users in the crosshairs.
How X stacks up against rivals on account transparency
X is not inventing the idea of account transparency. Instagram’s own “About this account” section has existed for years, showing information like previous usernames and country, and Meta treats it as a trust layer for high reach profiles. Still, Bier says X wants to move faster, explaining, “We’re inspired by similar transparency features on other platforms, but X aims to set a new bar in real-time account context.”
Where X pushes further is in the mix of signals and the ambition to apply them widely, not only to large creators. Combining location, app store origin and username history with potential VPN flags positions X as a platform that wants users to constantly evaluate who is behind any post they see.
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