Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin has expressed his concerns regarding a new X feature that discloses a user’s country, labeling it as ‘risky.’ He aligns with numerous crypto users who are wary of the potential privacy risks associated with this change.

On Saturday, X’s product director Nikita Bier introduced this feature, suggesting it would promote platform integrity and facilitate verification of information by users. However, Buterin later commented that this change may lead to manipulation where some accounts might falsely present themselves as being from different countries.

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.”
(Translation: In most instances, showing the country retains a significant level of anonymity, but there are individuals for whom even slight disclosure is perilous, and their privacy rights should not be undermined without proper alternatives.)

Concerns from various crypto users arose, noting that the feature could simplify tracking high-value investors for malicious purposes. In contrast, some appear unbothered by the feature, arguing that the geographical disclosure in a vast country like the U.S. would not lead to identifiable situations. Crypto venture capitalist Nic Carter claimed it was necessary to discourage foreign entities from undermining political processes by pretending to be domestic users.

Privacy Concerns Acknowledged

Hayden Adams, founder of Uniswap, firmly opposed the feature, expressing, “I hate it. Opt-in doxing is fine, mandatory doxing is psychotic.”

Meanwhile, Andrei David, CTO of decentralized finance firm Summer.fi, highlights that the issue lies in obligating everyone to visibility without notice. “A privacy-sensitive functionality should commence with the minimally disclosing setting,” he remarked.

Options Available for Users’ Privacy

Bier mentioned a privacy toggle allowing users to showcase only their region—this is particularly relevant for users from countries with restrictions on freedom of speech.

Langerius, a lead at the Hunters of Web3, shared a solution for those concerned, indicating users could disable this visibility by navigating through their settings.

Additionally, discussions have emerged regarding the balance between information sharing and privacy rights, emphasizing the need for thoughtful implementation of features affecting user data.