X Country Tag Exposes 400,000-Follower "America First" Account as Pakistani, Leading to Deletion

A prominent "America First" social media account on X, boasting nearly 400,000 followers, was recently exposed as operating from Pakistan by the platform's new "About this account" feature, leading to the immediate deletion of the profile. The revelation, highlighted by online commentator Eyal Yakoby, underscores growing concerns about foreign influence operations on major social media platforms. Yakoby stated in a tweet, "The country tag exposed the Pakistani cosplaying as an 'America First' patriot so badly that she nuked her entire account. The foreign influence on X is insane — these aren’t 'random' accounts. This one had nearly 400,000 followers."

X, formerly Twitter, began rolling out its "About this account" transparency feature in late November 2025. This tool displays an account's country of origin, creation date, and username change history, aiming to provide users with crucial context to assess authenticity and identify potential misinformation or coordinated inauthentic behavior. The platform determines an account's base using various signals, including IP addresses, app store regions, and posting patterns.

The exposure of this high-follower account is part of a broader trend where X's new feature has unveiled numerous profiles masquerading as domestic voices. Many accounts purporting to be American, particularly those associated with specific political movements, have been revealed to be based in countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and the Philippines. This development confirms long-held suspicions among some users and analysts regarding the pervasive nature of foreign influence in online discourse.

Such incidents highlight the ongoing challenge social media companies face in combating sophisticated foreign operations designed to manipulate public opinion and sow discord. The feature's rollout, while lauded by many for increasing transparency, has also faced initial accuracy complaints and temporary adjustments. However, its core function of revealing geographical origins continues to expose accounts that misrepresent their identity and intent.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the "insane" level of foreign influence on X, as noted by Yakoby. As the platform continues to refine its transparency tools, users are gaining new capabilities to discern the true origins behind the content they consume, potentially altering the landscape of online political engagement.