X suspended 13,000 accounts associated with foreign influence operations ahead of the U.S. elections

The X platform suspended 13,000 accounts it says were involved in three suspected foreign influence operations linked to Iran, Russia and China. The announcement was made on Wednesday as preparations continued for the midterm elections in the United States, scheduled for November 3.

According to the company, the networks used fake accounts to publish and amplify political messages targeting candidates and public figures across the U.S. political spectrum. X said it identified the accounts through proactive reviews and investigations into spam and coordinated inauthentic behavior.

The platform also announced additional rules against false information about how, when and where to vote, as well as attempts to intimidate voters or discourage participation in the election. Users will be able to report posts through the “civic integrity” option, and the company may add labels and context notes.

X’s announcement comes a week after OpenAI said it had removed influence operations attributed to Russia and Iran that used ChatGPT to create fake identities and promote anti-Ukraine propaganda.