Politics

X Suspends Over 13,000 Accounts Linked to Iran, Russia, and China Influence Operations

By Al Jazeera Staff

The social media platform X announced that it has suspended more than 13,000 accounts associated with three suspected foreign influence operations tied to Iran, Russia, and China. The accounts were found to have used fake profiles to post and amplify political content aimed at U.S. candidates and public figures across the political spectrum ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. X said it identified the accounts through proactive sweeps and investigations under its rules against spam and coordinated inauthentic behavior. In a statement, X Global Government Affairs said, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and we are proud that X is the global town square where these debates happen. Our job is to keep that conversation authentic, open, and safe.” The company also outlined new rules to combat misleading information about how, when, or where to vote, as well as efforts to suppress turnout and voter intimidation, including calls for violence near polling stations. Users can report election‑related posts via the “civic integrity” option to request a community note that provides context. In urgent cases, X may apply labels to posts that violate its election rules. The announcement follows a week after OpenAI shut down two alleged influence operations from Russia and Iran that used ChatGPT to push fake journalist personas and run a covert “think‑tank” spreading anti‑Ukraine propaganda. X has previously taken action against suspected foreign influence networks; in 2021, when it was still known as Twitter, it suspended 238 accounts believed to be operating from Iran.