🛰️ X’s New Country Labels Spark Privacy Backlash — Vitalik Buterin Warns They’ll Be “Gamed Within Months”

X claims it’s making conversations “more transparent.” Vitalik says it’s making users less safe — and more manipulated.

X (formerly Twitter) has rolled out a new system that displays the country an account is posting from. Officially, the goal is to fight misinformation. But Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argues the update may do the opposite. He shared a detailed critique in a post on X, warning that the feature is easy to exploit — and dangerous for vulnerable users.

🌍 What X Changed — And Why It’s Already Controversial

X now shows a public label indicating the country an account appears to be posting from. At first glance, it seems harmless — maybe even helpful. But Buterin says the system is fundamentally flawed for two reasons:

• 1️⃣ Location data is extremely easy to fake
• 2️⃣ Users cannot opt out — even if disclosure puts them at risk

The result? Millions of ordinary users get labeled accurately — while sophisticated actors can pretend to be from any country they want.

🕵️‍♂️ Problem #1: Location Spoofing Will Break the System

Buterin predicts that X’s country labels will work briefly — then collapse as propaganda accounts adapt.

The system doesn’t use GPS. It guesses your country based on:

• IP address
• Device settings
• SIM card metadata
• Browser and OS patterns
• Behavioral patterns

All of which can be spoofed using:

• VPNs and proxies
• Rented foreign phone numbers
• Purchased passports or ID kits
• Virtualized device setups

His prediction: Within six months, non-Western propaganda accounts will masquerade as U.S. or U.K. users, completely undermining the system’s purpose.

🔐 Problem #2: Privacy Risks — And No Way to Opt Out

After thinking further, Buterin sharpened his criticism. X is exposing location signals without user consent, and without any option to disable the feature — not even by deleting the account.

For everyday users, that’s annoying. For high-risk users, it’s dangerous:

• political dissidents
• activists under surveillance
• journalists in conflict zones
• whistleblowers
• targets of harassment

Even “a few bits” of extra data, he says, can narrow down someone’s identity — especially in regions where speaking freely carries consequences.

His description was blunt: “a retroactive rug-pull of user privacy.”

🛠️ What Vitalik Wishes X Would Build Instead

He’s not opposed to transparency. He just believes X’s approach is naive and dangerous.

The system he imagines would be:

• 🔒 Harder to spoof
• 🌐 More nuanced than simple national labels
• 🧬 Based on multiple signals, not one
• 🫡 Fully consensual — users choose what is shown

He admits this would be complex, but argues it’s the only way to avoid weaponizing identity metadata.

🌐 Bigger Picture: Transparency vs. Surveillance

Tech platforms are under pressure to fight misinformation. But Buterin reminds the world that transparency without consent is surveillance.

X’s update highlights a deeper tension: Platforms want clarity. Users want safety and control.

And as privacy debates intensify, even small design choices — like a country label — can reshape the digital battlefield.

⚠️ TL;DR

X now shows country labels for all accounts. Vitalik Buterin warns the feature is easy to spoof, will be gamed by propaganda networks, and exposes vulnerable users without consent. He argues it’s a privacy rug-pull that risks doing more harm than good, and calls for a more nuanced, opt-in, tamper-resistant system.