Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently voiced his concerns regarding X’s newly implemented feature that reveals the country associated with an account. He described the feature as “risky,” aligning with other crypto enthusiasts worried about privacy implications.
X’s Director of Product, Nikita Bier, announced the feature last Saturday, presenting it as a method to uphold the platform’s integrity and helping users confirm account details.
On Sunday, Buterin noted that some users might resort to deception, attempting to appear as if they are from different countries. However, he initially perceived potential benefits, such as enhancing the visibility of community sentiments on various topics.
Many users expressed worries that the feature might unfortunately facilitate malicious actors in tracking high-net-worth individuals, exposing them to risks.
Buterin later conveyed that he believes it is inappropriate to reveal a user’s location without consent or an opt-out option. He stated:
“In most cases, revealing country still leaves a very large anonymity set, but there are some people for whom even a few bits of leakage are risky, and they should not have their privacy retroactively rugpulled with no recourse.”
Crypto Executives Share Their Concerns
Hayden Adams, the founder of Uniswap, also condemned the feature, stating, “I hate it. Opt-in doxing is fine, mandatory doxing is psychotic.”
Andrei David, CTO of Summer.fi, emphasized the importance of user privacy, stating, “The problem isn’t showing country; it’s forcing everyone into visibility without notice. A privacy-sensitive feature should always start with the least revealing setting.”
How to Opt Out of the Feature
Bier mentioned that users concerned about privacy could switch their account settings to display just their region instead of their entire country, especially if their locations carry risks.
User Langerius, a lead at the Web3 group Hunters of Web3, provided guidance on adjusting the settings to ensure privacy.
Diverse Reactions from Users
While many raised valid concerns, some users supported the feature. Some pointed out that, in a large nation such as the U.S., it would be difficult for individuals to be easily identified based on country alone. Others, including crypto investor Nic Carter, praised the feature, stating it could prevent foreign users from misleadingly influencing local politics.
