X's New 'About this account' Feature Adds Transparency to User Profiles
A recent rollout by social media platform X has introduced an updated feature called "About this account" which sheds more light on user profiles. This new information includes the country where users are based and how many times they've changed their usernames.
According to Nikita Bier, X's head of product, the primary purpose of this feature is to verify the authenticity of content posted on X by providing a clearer picture of its users. The 'About this account' feature displays more than just the country of origin; it also reveals which app or web platform was used to create and connect with the account.
Currently, users can view their own profile information by clicking the "Joined" button beneath their bio, but due to the rollout being rolled out gradually, others may not be able to see this info yet. When using the new feature, users have the option to select which country or region they wish to display – with the full country available as a default.
There's also a mention of 'privacy toggles' that can be turned on at an individual user level and displayed prominently next to their profile information. Furthermore, users who access X via Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) will see a disclaimer stating that the displayed country or region may not accurately reflect their location, as internet sleuths have pointed out.
X's decision to roll out this feature follows in the footsteps of other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which have also introduced similar "About this account" features.
A recent rollout by social media platform X has introduced an updated feature called "About this account" which sheds more light on user profiles. This new information includes the country where users are based and how many times they've changed their usernames.
According to Nikita Bier, X's head of product, the primary purpose of this feature is to verify the authenticity of content posted on X by providing a clearer picture of its users. The 'About this account' feature displays more than just the country of origin; it also reveals which app or web platform was used to create and connect with the account.
Currently, users can view their own profile information by clicking the "Joined" button beneath their bio, but due to the rollout being rolled out gradually, others may not be able to see this info yet. When using the new feature, users have the option to select which country or region they wish to display – with the full country available as a default.
There's also a mention of 'privacy toggles' that can be turned on at an individual user level and displayed prominently next to their profile information. Furthermore, users who access X via Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) will see a disclaimer stating that the displayed country or region may not accurately reflect their location, as internet sleuths have pointed out.
X's decision to roll out this feature follows in the footsteps of other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which have also introduced similar "About this account" features.
i am low-key excited about x's new 'about this account' feature!!! its like they're finally being transparent about who's behind those influencer accounts 
& it's gonna make it way harder for them to create fake profiles 
plus, the fact that u can toggle off ur location info is SO cool 
i mean, whats the point of havin a social media platform if u cant trust the info? 
...like its a good move or whatever. now we can finally see where ppl are from without having to do some digging myself 
. i'm not saying it's gonna change everything, but at least its a step in the right direction, right? and btw, why do they have to warn us about vpn users though 
? like what's the big deal?
. I mean, what happens when users use VPNs or have their location changed for security reasons? It feels like X is taking away a bit of control from its users 
.
. Maybe they could also add some kind of 'explain' button for users who want more info on their profile info 
. If users can turn off their VPNs, shouldn't they be able to see the country they're really from? It's all about balance between transparency and user control, right? 
. But overall, I think this feature is just another step in making social media platforms more transparent 
.
. And what's with the VPN disclaimer? Just another way for X to be like "Hey, we know you're hiding something" 
. But I guess times change and so do our online habits.
. I mean, who doesn't want to be able to opt out of sharing their location info or whatever, right? And the VPN disclaimer is a nice touch too – it shows they're thinking about all these potential issues.
.
. It's always refreshing to see a platform evolve and adapt to user needs 
. Now users can finally get a better idea of who they're interacting with online, which is super important in today's digital landscape. I mean, it's not like we shouldn't already know where our fave celebs are from, but for the rest of us, it's been kinda hard to figure out 
.
I guess it's better than nothing, but it still makes me wonder if this is all just a PR stunt... 
. But what really gets me is how this feature could potentially help with misinformation on the platform 
. Like, if you see someone posting something and you're like "wait, they're based in China but their profile says they changed it last week... maybe they shouldn't be sharing that info?" 
. It's all about being transparent and trustworthy, right? 
I'm all about transparency on social media so this new 'About this account' feature is like totally needed 
especially if u use a vpn, it's like x cant really know where u r comin from