New Delhi: Social media platform X has revealed that it suspended nearly 800 million accounts over the past year for violating platform rules related to spam and coordinated manipulation. The company said the move is part of its ongoing efforts to tackle fake networks, automated bots and state-backed influence campaigns.
The disclosure was made during a briefing to lawmakers, where company representatives explained that large numbers of accounts are created daily with the intention of spreading misinformation, generating spam or pushing specific narratives on the platform.
State-backed networks pose the biggest challenge
According to company officials, attempts to manipulate discussions on the platform are often linked to state-backed actors, with Russia identified as the most active, followed by Iran and China.
These networks allegedly create large numbers of coordinated accounts to amplify certain issues or political narratives. Such activity is commonly referred to on the platform as “inauthentic networks” or “manipulative accounts.”
The company said these networks frequently post identical messages, links or hashtags in large volumes to artificially push topics into trending lists or influence public conversations.
Fake accounts created every day
A senior representative from the company said that attempts to create fake or suspicious accounts occur every day.
In many cases, these accounts are generated using automated systems or bot networks designed to post thousands of messages or responses simultaneously. This can create the appearance of widespread engagement or support for a particular issue.
The company added that hundreds of millions of accounts were removed during the latter part of last year alone for violating rules related to spam and coordinated manipulation.
Around 300 million active users worldwide
According to X, the platform currently has around 300 million monthly active users globally. Despite the large number of suspensions, the company said most accounts on the platform belong to genuine users.
Officials said they remain confident that the majority of remaining accounts are authentic, and that monitoring systems are continuously used to detect and remove suspicious activity.
What are “manipulative accounts”?
Under the platform’s rules, manipulative accounts are those that engage in large-scale, aggressive or misleading activity that disrupts the experience of other users.
Such behaviour may include:
- Posting identical content repeatedly
- Using bot networks to artificially push trends
- Spreading spam links or promotional material
- Circulating misinformation or propaganda
Similarly, spam is defined as repeated, unsolicited actions that negatively affect other users’ experience on the platform.
Attempts to influence elections
Company officials also stated that certain foreign networks attempted to influence discussions related to the 2024 United States presidential election.
According to the company, these networks attempted to “flood the platform with particular narratives” by posting large volumes of coordinated messages, potentially aiming to shape public opinion or deepen social divisions.
Ongoing debate over content moderation
X’s approach to content moderation has faced criticism in the past, with some observers claiming that misleading or inflammatory content can spread rapidly on the platform.
Despite these concerns, the company says it continues to strengthen its enforcement systems and deploy new technological tools to identify spam networks, bot activity and foreign interference on the platform.
