Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is testing a new feature that reveals more details about user profiles — such as account creation date, location, and username changes — to help fight bots and improve transparency across the platform.
X’s New Transparency Push
As AI-generated bots become more realistic and harder to detect, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is taking new measures to boost authenticity on the platform. X is currently developing a feature that will display more detailed information on user profiles — giving users better insight into who they’re really talking to.
According to Nikita Bier, X’s Head of Product, the company plans to experiment with showing the following profile details:
- Date the account was created
- User’s general location or region
- Number of username changes
- How the account uses X’s services
This move aligns with Musk’s long-stated mission to restore trust and reduce bot activity on X. By surfacing these details, users can more easily determine whether an account is authentic or AI-driven, and whether it might be spreading misinformation or spam.
Why Transparency Matters
Generative AI has made it incredibly easy to create fake profiles that mimic human behavior. With X’s new transparency feature, users will have visible signals of authenticity right on the profile page.
For instance, if an account claims to be based in the U.S. but shows that it was created abroad, or if it’s had multiple username changes, that might raise suspicion. Similarly, an account that downloads the X app from a foreign app store while pretending to be local could also be flagged by users as potentially deceptive.
While not foolproof, these indicators can help identify bots, fake accounts, and coordinated disinformation efforts — a growing concern across all major social platforms.
Testing, Privacy, and Opt-Out Options
Bier confirmed that X will first test the new profile transparency feature on a limited number of employee accounts to gather feedback. After internal testing, it will likely expand to more users in future updates.
Crucially, X will allow users to opt out of sharing certain details. However, opting out will likely be visible on one’s profile, signaling to others that the user has chosen not to display certain information.
Bier also acknowledged privacy concerns in regions with speech restrictions, noting that X may show only the country instead of a specific location in those cases.
X Follows a Growing Industry Trend
X’s approach mirrors similar transparency tools used by Instagram and other platforms. Instagram’s “About This Account” feature, for example, already shows data like account creation date, country, and username changes, helping users evaluate credibility.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently emphasized that such context helps users decide “how much to trust or not trust” a profile — and hinted that Instagram could “do more” in the future.
By implementing similar transparency features, X is catching up with industry best practices while adapting them to its unique, fast-moving conversational platform.
Fighting Bots and Building Credibility on X
This update follows X’s massive bot purge, in which the platform removed 1.7 million spam accounts engaging in reply spam and misinformation. The new transparency tools are the next step in Musk’s broader anti-bot strategy, combining visibility with user awareness.
However, experts note that while exposing more data helps, scammers often adapt quickly. That’s why pairing transparency with AI detection, user verification, and community reporting will be critical for long-term trust.
Still, for millions of everyday users, these added details could make a meaningful difference when deciding who to follow, engage with, or trust on X.
As X evolves under Elon Musk’s leadership, the platform continues to balance privacy, authenticity, and openness. The new transparency initiative could strengthen user trust and help curb the spread of AI-generated misinformation — a timely move in today’s digital landscape.
While questions about data privacy and regional risks remain, the effort signals that X is serious about addressing bot activity and platform credibility head-on.
In an era where AI is rewriting the rules of online identity, X’s latest update could help users reclaim clarity and confidence in the conversations they have online.
