X’s new account-origin feature sparks false smear campaign against Gaza journalist
A technical glitch in X’s new “about this account” feature triggered a wave of misinformation targeting Palestinian journalist Motasem Dalloul, after the platform incorrectly listed his location as Poland.
- Israel’s foreign ministry used the faulty feature to claim Dalloul’s Gaza reporting was “fake.”
- Dalloul, who remains in Gaza and has lost several family members in Israeli attacks, posted video proof of his location.
- Experts say IP routing via European eSIMs, VPNs, and Gaza’s destroyed internet network likely caused the false location.
A recently introduced feature on X, “About this account,” was designed to show where an account is based and when it joined the platform.
The tool was intended to help users identify fraud, bots, and foreign influence operations — but instead has unleashed confusion after showing incorrect locations for many high-profile accounts.
Israeli ministry targets Gaza journalist
The controversy escalated when Israel’s foreign ministry shared a screenshot suggesting that Gaza-based Palestinian journalist Motasem A Dalloul was “based in Poland.”
The ministry used the claim to cast doubt on his reporting from Gaza, writing: “Reporting from Gaza is fake & not reliable.”
The attack intensified online, with pro-Israel accounts mocking Dalloul, sharing doctored images, and accusing him of falsifying his coverage.
Dalloul responds from Gaza
Dalloul, who lost his wife and two children in Israeli attacks last year, and another son just hours after the ceasefire announced by former U.S.
He released a video showing Gaza’s destroyed neighbourhoods and tents.
He challenged critics:
“Tell me if you can recognise such tents and buildings in Poland.”
Why accounts appear in wrong countries
Experts say the mislabeling may stem from:
- Destroyed internet infrastructure in Gaza, forcing residents to use donated eSIMs routed through Europe.
- Accounts managed by relatives abroad during connectivity blackouts.
- VPNs, network failovers and routing glitches affecting geolocation.
X itself noted that the feature “may not be accurate” and has since paused the rollout.
Broader misuse of the glitch
Analysts stressed that the issue is being exploited deliberately.
Lebanese-Palestinian journalist Hala Jaber wrote that some users are “weaponising a known technical quirk” to smear Palestinian voices.
Media researcher Marc Owen Jones added that the trend represents “another low in the propaganda war.”
Confusion spreads beyond Gaza accounts
The glitch also sparked chaos for unrelated accounts.
Users noted that many MAGA-branded accounts claiming to be American appeared to be located in Thailand, Turkey, or Nigeria.
Even the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s official X account briefly appeared as being “based in Tel Aviv,” sparking viral claims that “America is an occupied nation.” DHS later issued an official denial after initially responding with a meme.
X pauses the feature
Following the controversy, the location feature was suspended.
X’s AI assistant Grok explained the DHS incident as likely caused by “IP geolocation or a glitch.”
The episode has ignited a larger debate about how technical features can be manipulated to fuel disinformation — and the dangerous consequences for journalists reporting from conflict zones.
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