X may soon include a disclaimer on your profile that tells others you've used a VPN .
Last month, Head of Product Nikita Bier said X was "experimenting with displaying new information on profiles, including which country an account is based, among other details." A screenshot provided by Bier included an "Account based in" tag, but newly discovered code suggests profiles might also include a disclaimer that alludes to the use of a VPN.
As spotted by MacRumors' Aaron Perris, "X will show a warning on your account if you try to use a VPN to hide where your account is from when the upcoming 'About Your Account' feature launches." The account holder will see a warning that says, "One of our partners has indicated that you may be connecting via a proxy—such as a VPN—which may change the country or region that is displayed on your profile." Those looking at your profile will see, "Country or region may not be accurate," which suggests they're connecting via a VPN.
When Bier first teased these expanded profiles, some people expressed concerns about privacy, as many X users log on from regions with repressive regimes and use VPNs to hide their locations. Of course, scammers could use the technology for the same purposes.
Speaking to TechRadar , NordVPN CTO Marijus Briedis said the VPN disclaimer would "make it easier to single out journalists, activists, or users in high-risk countries as 'suspicious' just because they care about privacy."
Last month, Bier said, "There will be privacy toggles. However, if a user configures them, that will likely be highlighted on their profile. More to come."
Bier also highlighted other tools, including an indicator of how many times you've changed your username and when you first joined X.
