X's new 'About this account' feature faces backlash over accuracy
What's the story
Social media platform X has rolled out a new feature called "About this account." The tool offers details such as an account's location, creation date, and history of username changes. X says the feature is designed to help users verify the authenticity of accounts. However, it has already drawn complaints from users over accuracy concerns.
Implementation details
Feature rollout and user access
The "About this account" feature was first announced by X in October. It was initially available only on the profiles of X employees and the company's head of product, Nikita Bier. Now, users can access this tool by clicking on the "Joined" date on an X profile. This opens a new page showing details like account creation date, location, username change history, and connection method to X (via Google Play or App Store).
Accuracy issues
User complaints about inaccurate information
Soon after its launch, some users reported that the "About this account" feature was showing incorrect information. One user, 'Canadian Beaver,' complained that their country of origin was wrongly shown as the US instead of Canada. Responding to the complaint, Bier said he was working on fixing it and that "Starlink threw us off." Another user reported their account creation location as Korea instead of the actual one.
Feature adjustments
Bier's response to user complaints
In response to the complaints, Bier said they had identified the problem with the second case. He noted that it appeared the user had used a VPN while signing up for their account in 2022. "We are adding an indicator on that row on Monday for Android and iOS and it will be live on web tomorrow," Bier said, explaining how they plan to address these issues going forward.