A Double-Edged Sword for Authenticity

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has raised concerns about a new location-tagging feature on the social media platform X, arguing that it introduces significant security and privacy risks. According to Buterin, while the tool is intended to increase authenticity, it could easily be manipulated by sophisticated actors who can fake their locations, leaving legitimate users exposed.

In response to the feature’s rollout, Buterin advised his followers to disable country visibility in their settings or switch to a less specific region-level display to protect their privacy. He warned that the feature could foster discrimination, noting that “innocent users will be abused or thrown under the bus simply because of where they’re chatting from.”

Community Reaction and X’s Position

The sentiment was echoed by investor Jason Calacanis, who suggested that the move would drive adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as users seek ways to mask their true locations. His remark, “Long VPN stocks,” highlights a broader concern that the feature may encourage more online evasion rather than transparency.

For its part, X has positioned the location tag as part of its effort to secure what it calls the “global town square.” Representatives from the platform have stated that additional methods for verifying authenticity are currently in development, signaling that this feature is just one step in a larger strategy.