Xs location revealing feature is live. Heres how to make it less precise.
Over the weekend, Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) introduced a contentious new feature that displays users’ country of residence, sparking a wave of concern and debate among its community. The rollout was met with technical hiccups, as the feature was briefly pulled back before being reinstated. Users quickly discovered that the location data was often imprecise, leading to further frustration. While some individuals have taken to using this information for what they describe as “detective work” to trace the locations of other accounts, many others have voiced serious concerns about privacy and security. The ability for anyone to see a user’s current country raises fears of stalking and unwanted attention, prompting a significant backlash against the feature.
In response to the uproar, X has provided users with the option to manage their privacy settings. By navigating to Settings and Privacy, then Privacy and Safety, and finally About Your Account, users can choose how much location information is shared. They can opt to display only their country or a broader geographical region, which offers a degree of relief for those uncomfortable with the feature. Additionally, users have the option to utilize a VPN, which can obscure their true location. However, this approach is not without its complications, as it may result in displaying a random location that could lead to awkward situations—such as explaining to a boss why one appears to be working from a tropical destination instead of their home office.
This feature’s introduction highlights the ongoing tension between user privacy and the platform’s push for transparency. While some may find value in knowing the geographical context of accounts they interact with, the potential risks associated with such transparency cannot be overlooked. As the digital landscape evolves, the balance between connectivity and privacy remains a critical conversation, and users are urged to take proactive steps to safeguard their personal information on platforms like X.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQi_zU4Nb_U
Over the weekend, Elon Musk’s X has
rolled out
a highly controversial feature that shows every account’s country of residence.
The roll out didn’t exactly go smoothly, with the company seemingly pulling then re-instating the feature which was shown to be very imprecise.
Still, many users are worried. While
some
used it for “detective,” work, revealing where this or that account is based in, others
expressed concern
that they can now effectively be stalked, as the feature shows which country they’re currently in.
If you don’t like the idea of everyone knowing which country you reside in at the moment, X currently offers the way to make this feature less precise. Go to Settings and Privacy – Privacy and Safety – About your account.
Not the perfect fix, but better than nothing.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable/X
There, you can choose whether X will show the country you’re in, or a broader region or continent.
Alternatively and additionally, you can use
a VPN
while connecting to X, which might be able to throw it off (but it also may result in a random location showing for you, which could result in some misunderstanding, such as explaining to your boss why you’re in Bali when you should be working from your home office in Boston).
