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Far-Right European Social Media Accounts Revealed to Operate from Asia, Australia
Some social media accounts promoting far-right ideologies about Europe are operating from locations thousands of miles away from the continent, according to an investigation by Euronews Next.
The revelation came after X (formerly Twitter) implemented new location labels last week designed to enhance “authenticity” on the platform. The feature uses IP addresses, app store regions, and posting behavior to determine and display users’ geographical locations.
Euronews Next examined over 30 accounts that shared content using five popular Eurocentric extremist hashtags on November 24, documenting their displayed locations.
Among the findings was an account called “Make Europe Great Again” with approximately 17,000 followers that X identified as operating from “South Asia.” The account regularly posts xenophobic content, including images depicting violence against Arabs with captions advocating for “mass deportation and closed borders” as “the only way to save Europe.”
Another account using the identical name “Make Europe Great Again” was found to be based in Vietnam. This account actively spreads anti-transgender conspiracy theories, refers to Algeria as a “cancer” for France, and dehumanizes African children.
From Australia, an account called “Make Europa Snow” promotes white supremacist ideology with posts expressing preference for “Hitler’s Germany in the 1930s” over multicultural societies and messages like “Make Germany Great and White Again.”
The investigation also identified prominent alleged disinformation aggregators operating from their purported locations—accounts like Visegrad and RadioGenoa were listed as being based in Poland and Italy, respectively.
X’s location feature comes with disclaimers acknowledging potential inaccuracies due to factors like recent travel or temporary relocation. However, Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, promised an update to the location feature on November 24 that would achieve 99.99 percent accuracy.
Platform owner Elon Musk has repeatedly claimed to be fighting automated accounts and inauthentic behavior. He has proposed charging new users small fees to deter “the onslaught of bots,” arguing that AI and troll farms can now easily bypass traditional verification methods like CAPTCHA tests.
In 2023, X began testing a “Not a Bot” program in the Philippines and New Zealand, charging new users $1 per year to post on the platform. According to X, this measure was introduced to “bolster” efforts against spam, manipulation, and bot activity.
The platform also conducts periodic bot purges. In October, Bier announced that X had removed 1.7 million bots engaged in “reply spam” and was planning a second sweep targeting “DM spam.”
X’s policies prohibit “any activity that attempts to manipulate our platform” through inauthentic accounts, behaviors, or content, including various forms of spam and sharing “synthetic and manipulated media.” While developers can create AI-powered reply bots to generate “context-aware” responses, they must first receive approval from X.
The discovery of far-right European accounts operating from distant regions raises questions about the authenticity of political discourse on social media platforms and highlights the global nature of extremist content creation. As platforms implement new tools to enhance transparency, the effectiveness of these measures in combating coordinated inauthentic behavior remains to be seen.
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12 Comments
The findings of this report are a stark reminder that the battle against online extremism is a global challenge. Collaborative efforts between platforms, researchers, and policymakers are crucial to effectively address this complex issue.
This investigation highlights the transnational nature of disinformation networks. Platforms need to continuously evolve their detection and enforcement methods to stay ahead of those who seek to manipulate public discourse for nefarious purposes.
While the ability to operate accounts remotely can have legitimate uses, it’s clear that bad actors are exploiting this functionality to spread extremist rhetoric. Improved location verification and transparency are essential to combat this threat.
The use of virtual private networks and other tools to mask true locations is a challenge for content moderation. Platforms must continue innovating to detect and address coordinated disinformation campaigns, regardless of their point of origin.
It’s troubling to see how easily bad actors can disguise their origins to lend an air of authenticity to extremist rhetoric. Transparency measures are crucial, but platforms must also focus on proactively detecting and removing coordinated disinformation networks.
Absolutely. The ability to mask one’s true location is a serious vulnerability that can be weaponized. Comprehensive solutions are needed to tackle this problem head-on.
This reveals the global nature of disinformation campaigns. Social media companies need robust measures to verify user locations and authenticity to prevent the spread of extremist narratives from foreign actors. Promoting openness and accountability is crucial.
I agree, the ability to obfuscate one’s true location is a concerning vulnerability that can be exploited. Better enforcement of location labeling and transparency around account origins is needed.
This investigation underscores the transnational nature of far-right extremism. Tracking and exposing the true sources behind ideological messaging, even if they are physically distant, is an important step in combating the spread of disinformation.
Interesting investigation into the origins of far-right European accounts. It’s concerning to see such ideological content being promoted from locations outside the continent. Transparency around user location and authenticity is important for social media platforms to address.
This report highlights the global scale of the disinformation problem. Social media companies have their work cut out for them in verifying user identities and locations to prevent foreign actors from exploiting their platforms.
The revelation that far-right European accounts are being operated from Asia and Australia is deeply concerning. Platforms must strengthen their efforts to identify and remove coordinated campaigns that seek to undermine democratic discourse.