GLOBAL – A new transparency feature rolled out by the social media platform X has unmasked numerous influential accounts promoting the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) political movement as being operated from outside the United States, including from Nigeria, Russia, and India. The tool, named “About This Account,” became globally available on Friday, 21 November 2025, allowing any user to view the country or region where an account is based.

The feature immediately led to a series of revelations by users and media outlets. An account named MAGANationX, which has nearly 400,000 followers and a biography describing itself as a “Patriot Voice for We The People,” was found to be operated from Eastern Europe, according to a report by The Daily Beast. Another prominent profile, IvankaNews, a fan account for Ivanka Trump with approximately one million followers that frequently posts content critical of immigration and Islam, was revealed to be based in Nigeria. Similarly, the account MAGA Scope, with over 51,000 followers, also operates from Nigeria.

Other examples uncovered by users include the account “America First,” with 67,000 followers, being run from Bangladesh, and “Dark Maga,” with about 15,000 followers, operating from Thailand.

Implications for Kenya's Digital Landscape

The discovery of Nigerian operators running high-profile American political accounts brings the issue of foreign influence campaigns close to home, highlighting a significant challenge for Kenya and the broader East African region. Kenya possesses one of the most active social media environments in Africa, with platforms like X playing a crucial role in shaping public discourse and political narratives.

These revelations underscore the growing global industry of “disinformation-for-hire,” where individuals or organized groups can be paid to promote specific political agendas far from their own shores. Research from the Mozilla Foundation has previously exposed a lucrative market in Kenya where social media influencers are paid to participate in coordinated disinformation campaigns to harass journalists, judges, and activists. One 2021 report noted that influencers could earn between $10 and $15 USD daily to push specific hashtags and narratives, with payments often made via mobile money platforms.

While analysis from the 2022 Kenyan elections suggested that most online disinformation campaigns were “100% homegrown,” the recent findings from the US context serve as a stark warning. The ease with which foreign actors can masquerade as local citizens to inject polarizing content into another nation's political debates poses a direct threat to the integrity of information and democratic processes in Kenya, especially as the country approaches future election cycles.

A Move Towards Transparency

The “About This Account” feature is part of a broader effort by the Elon Musk-owned platform to enhance transparency and combat inauthentic behaviour. By clicking on an account's join date, users can now see its location history, the number of times its username has been changed, and how the app was downloaded. Nikita Bier, X's head of product, described the tool as an “important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square.”

However, the platform has acknowledged that the location data may not always be precise, as users can employ Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to mask their true geographical location. X has stated it is working to address these potential inaccuracies. The revelations have ignited widespread debate on the platform about the authenticity of online political movements and the pervasive nature of foreign interference in domestic affairs.

For Kenyan social media users, this development is a critical reminder of the need for digital literacy and vigilance. Verifying the source and authenticity of online information is more crucial than ever to safeguard public discourse from manipulation, whether its origin is domestic or foreign.