Social media platform X announced it has suspended more than 13,000 accounts linked to three foreign influence operations suspected to originate from Iran, Russia and China. According to the company, these networks sought to shape political debate in the United States.
The announcement came on Wednesday, as X published its preparations for the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3.
X said its investigations found that the networks used fake accounts to post and amplify political content targeting candidates and public figures "across the entire political spectrum."
The company said it identified these accounts through "proactive sweeps and investigations," under its rules against spam and coordinated inauthentic behavior.
"Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and we are proud that X is the global town square where these debates take place. Our job is to keep that dialogue authentic, open and safe," X's Global Government Affairs team said when announcing the suspensions.
Election safeguards
X also published rules against misleading information about how, when or where to vote in the US midterms, as well as behavior seeking to suppress turnout and intimidate voters, including calls for violence near polling places.
According to the platform, users can report election-related posts through a "civic integrity" option to request community notes providing context. In emergency cases, X may also label posts that violate election rules when necessary.
X's announcement came a week after OpenAI said it had shut down two influence operations suspected to originate from Russia and Iran. Those campaigns used ChatGPT to create fake journalist personas and operate a "think tank" quietly spreading anti-Ukraine propaganda.
X has previously taken action against suspected foreign influence networks. In 2021, Twitter — X's former name — said it had suspended 238 accounts believed to be operating from Iran.
