The social network X has recently introduced a new feature that reveals users’ locations, exposing details that lift the veil on the activities of those in power and on the money invested in information warfare.
The feature provides new information to users by uncovering the true locations of account holders, including Taliban officials, their supporters, and senior figures from the former Afghan government.
Afghanistan International reviewed the accounts of several political figures, including Taliban officials, their supporters, and former officials of the previous government. The findings reveal new information about their locations.
The feature exposes the locations of users who claim to be in Afghanistan or another country and engage in activity related to that country, but whose accounts show a different location than what they claim.
Our review shows that accounts operating from European countries such as the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands are systematically promoting pro-Taliban messaging.
The new X feature shows that the account of Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, which has more than one million followers, is managed from the United States. The account has been active since 2017.
No reports have emerged of Mujahid travelling to the United States, but the account indicating a US location raises several possibilities: that someone in America manages his X account, that a US-based user has recently accessed it, or that Mujahid is using a VPN. The last possibility is considered unlikely because Afghanistan does not face significant internet restrictions and widespread VPN use is uncommon.
The spokesperson for Hibatullah Akhundzada uses an iPhone, a high-end Apple device considered one of the world’s most advanced smartphones. The Taliban often treat Western technologies and modern symbols cautiously and typically promote the image of a simple lifestyle for their leaders. However, the iPhone is globally recognised as a symbol of Western capitalism and luxury.
The new X feature also shows that the official account of the office of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, is being managed from the United Kingdom. The office has not announced any visits to London by its officials.
The platform further shows that the account of the Taliban embassy in Moscow is managed from Austria. According to X, the account has been accessed via the US Apple App Store.
The location of the account belonging to Ahmadullah Wasiq, head of the Taliban’s Physical Education Directorate, also shows the United States.
Taliban Negotiator’s Location: India
X’s data also indicates that the account of Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is active from India.
Earlier this month, Balkhi took part in Taliban–Pakistan negotiations in Istanbul. His account’s location is noteworthy because Pakistan has repeatedly alleged that the Afghan Taliban and India are working together to support armed groups opposed to Islamabad.
Relations between the Taliban and India have recently strengthened to an unprecedented degree, with an increase in Taliban officials travelling to India.
Pro-Taliban Promoters Based in Europe
Our review also shows that several X accounts operating from European countries are systematically promoting Taliban narratives.
One user under the name “Abdul Salam Mujahid,” whose profile shows a photo of Taliban defence minister Mullah Yaqoob, has more than 7,000 followers and is listed by X as active in France and connected through the French App Store. The account has changed its name five times.
Another account named “D Hafiz Anas Haqqani Winawi,” which primarily posts photos, speeches and interviews of Anas Haqqani of the Haqqani Network, is also listed as active in France. It has more than 1,400 followers and has been active since late last year.
According to X, another account named “D Islami Emirate,” whose profile photo features Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, is active somewhere in Europe. The account has more than 1,200 followers and regularly publishes and reposts content from Taliban officials and media outlets.
Another pro-Taliban user named “Shaheen Durrani,” whose background image shows the Taliban flag, is active in Norway. The account has more than 10,000 followers and consistently posts photos, videos and text praising the Taliban and its fighters.
A user named “Syeda Sadat,” with more than 11,000 followers, claims to be located in Afghanistan, but X shows her account operating from the Netherlands. Her profile and background photos feature young girls holding Taliban flags. Her posts celebrate the Taliban’s expanding regional relations and criticise the group’s political and military opponents.
Similarly, numerous other accounts are active on X that the platform shows are operated from outside Afghanistan, mainly from Europe and Arab countries. Their pro-Taliban posts receive thousands of views daily.
Accounts of Former Afghan Government Officials
Afghanistan International also reviewed the accounts of former Afghan government officials.
X previously indicated that the account of former president Ashraf Ghani was managed from the Netherlands. However, when we checked early Thursday morning, his account location had changed to the United Kingdom.
Ghani fled to the United Arab Emirates in August 2021. There have been no reports of him travelling to the Netherlands or the UK. X also shows that his account was accessed via the UK App Store.
The new feature also shows the account of Abdullah Abdullah, former chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, as being operated from the United Kingdom. No reports have surfaced of him visiting London in the past four years. Abdullah has largely travelled between Kabul and New Delhi, so it is possible the account is managed by one of his colleagues in the UK.
X also shows that Hanif Atmar, former foreign minister and national security adviser, is in Germany.
According to the platform, the accounts of Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front, and former vice-president Amrullah Saleh are active from somewhere in Central Asia. Unconfirmed reports suggest both men are residing mainly in Tajikistan.
Possibility of Error
In the first hours after the new feature was activated, some users raised concerns about its accuracy. The location information appears on users’ pages under “About this account.” X also warns that the displayed location may be influenced by recent travel, temporary stays or the use of a VPN.
Nevertheless, Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, responded to users’ doubts by writing on X: “This information is 99 per cent accurate.”
X introduced the new feature as part of its efforts to increase transparency and identify users operating under false identities to advance political agendas, scams or attempts to gain notoriety.
In the United States, the feature has already exposed users who claimed to be in the country but were actually located in India, Thailand and Bangladesh.
NBC News, citing former X employees, reported that the idea for this feature dates back to at least 2018 but was repeatedly rejected. Former staff said user-location data may be inaccurate or manipulated using widely available tools such as VPNs.
Previously, X displayed only the locations users chose to share manually. It remains unclear what data the platform is using to determine users’ true locations.
